Band-Aid
by LoadedEel
Summary: Natsu Dragneel has a problem, a big one and for once in his life, it has nothing to do with the fights he's gotten into. Lucy Heartfilia has a predicament and has everything to do with a tiny slip-up. What they both need is a quick fix, an easy solution, a Band-Aid. Perhaps they can find that in each other. (originally written for Nalu week 2017) Rated M for a reason.
1. Introduction

All Rights to Hiro Mashima

* * *

 **~ Band-Aid ~**

 _Natsu Dragneel has a problem, a big one and for once in his life, it has nothing to do with the fights he's gotten into. Lucy Heartfilia has a predicament and has everything to do with her jackass boss. What they both need is a quick fix, an easy solution, a Band-Aid. Perhaps they can find that in each other._

* * *

I originally wrote this fic for Nalu Week 2017, but I was asked to continue it passed the eventual ending and bonus day by using the prompts from previous years, which I have provided below. Thank you all for reading this fic and look forward to your reviews, comments, criticism, and PM.

This fic is rated **M** for a reason (mostly language) and the heavy lemony parts will be denoted with those lovely purity marks **(XXX)** just like my other stories for your reading pleasure.

Also...this is a modern AU set _in_ Earthland (I took some creative liberties) and is an interconnected story for the first seven chapters. I will either do one-shots that fit in nicely with this world or do another set of closely knit chapters for each year...I just haven't decided yet.

So, hold onto your butts and get ready for **'Band-Aid'** , cause I sure as hell can't wait to bring it to you.

* * *

 **2017**

Day 1: Nostalgia

Day 2: Tarot

Day 3: Flaws

Day 4: Body Language

Day 5: Mask

Day 6: Tattoo

Day 7: Intertwined

 **2016**

Day 1: Longing

Day 2: Reunion

Day 3: Admiration

Day 4: Secrets

Day 5: Struggle

Day 6: Climax

Day 7: The End

 **2015**

Day 1: Wander

Day 2: Gratitude

Day 3: Transformation

Day 4: Smoke

Day 5: Need

Day 6: Glory Days

Day 7: Happy

 **2014**

Day 1: Gifts

Day 2: Vulnerable

Day 3: Ribbon

Day 4: Promise

Day 5: Dare

Day 6: Effulgence

Day 7: Future

 **2013**

Day 1: Birthday

Day 2: Fairy Tale

Day 3: Cuddle

Day 4: Protect

Day 5: Firsts

Day 6: Nervous

Day 7: Flames and Keys

* * *

Stay crazy my precious cupcakes,

~LoadedEel


	2. Nostalgia

All Rights to Hiro Mashima

 **Good day to all you shippers of Nalu. I bring you tidings of great joy. Nalu Week has officially started (yay) and there should be ridiculous amounts of stories to read out there. If you haven't read the opening to this story, I would like to remind you that this is a modern AU with no magic and all seven days, plus the bonus day will be part of the same story.**

 **Happy reading!**

(This story goes super-duper fast in terms of the romantic aspect, but with only like…seven freaking chapters I needed something a little…crazy. Fair warning :3 Also, I have nothing against the name Marvin…)

BEWARE! THE INSTANT ATTRACTION! THE PEEPING!

* * *

 **~ Nostalgia ~**

 _In which Natsu realises just how much trouble he's in and Lucy flips shit for an hour before finding her cool again then becomes a peeping Tom._

* * *

This entire, giant, Alvarez sized mess of shit started a little over two months ago.

On an entirely normal morning, Lucy had awoken, showered, dressed in some boot cut jeans and a blue t-shirt with silver stars, eaten her customary piece of wholegrain toast with peanut butter, realised she was going to be almost ten minutes late to work and dashed out the door.

Typical morning, nothing new.

Until she had arrived at Crocus' premier magazine producer – Sorcerer Weekly, even though it was a strange name no one questioned it – and her whole adult life was shot to hell.

Her boss, named Jason – who thought everything was so cooooooool – slipped up on her last article. Usually, she was produced under the pseudonym Fairy Heart. Something so innocuous that no one would ever think it was her who wrote the more…investigative pieces in the magazine. She had once interviewed the King of Fiore for Mavis' sake and enjoyed her chat with his daughter Hisui. They corresponded through email on and off, but that wasn't the point.

The point was…Jason had accidentally published a piece of hers, on the MMA fighting expo going on in the Domus Flau – which she was going back for a follow-up piece after all the round robin fighting had finished, two months from then – under her actual name; Lucy Heartfilia.

Most people only knew that name and associated it with the blonde heiress 'Lucky' Lucy who had any number of suitors asking for her hand (and fortune) in marriage. They would have also heard that Lucky Lucy had been missing for almost three full years now, having vanished mysteriously one night without a single note and her whereabouts were unknown.

Until now, at least.

Thousands of copies of the magazine had been printed and shipped out to various vendors across the country, some even making it into Bosco and the outskirts of Seven. There was no way for her to get them all back, so Lucy – after thoroughly freaking out for a little over an hour – decided that there was nothing to be done and she couldn't worry about this.

She knew that word of her existence would make it back to her father somehow and Lucy was tired. Tired of running and always being vigilante and watchful for someone to come and pluck her out of her desk chair and spirit her away back to the Kozern.

She was done running away.

So, Lucy stayed at her job at the magazine, continued to publish under the name Fairy Heart and prayed to all the Gods above and below that her father, one Jude Heartfilia – cold calculating bastard of a man – wouldn't realise that she had been almost right under his nose all this time.

What was that old saying? Keep your friends close but your enemies closer? Yeah. That one. And he was definitely the enemy.

It took almost two full months of silence before anything happened. The day that she was to go back to Domus Flau and interview the two MMA fighters who were to go head to head against each other in an all-out smack down of epic proportions, a gilded letter had shown up in her mail, edges lined in what looked like actual gold leaf, inviting her to a ball.

And not just any ball – who has balls nowadays? It seemed so primitive and old-world – it was a ball to find her husband. Essentially her father was inviting her through a letter – didn't even call her to see how she was – to her own party, to be auctioned off like a prized steer to the highest bidder. Then she would have to marry one of those ridiculous men, have – blech – sex with them and then push out a son, because God forbid she have a beautiful baby daughter.

Oh, no. It was a son or nothing in her father's eyes.

This was the reason she had left in the first place. She didn't want to be an object to be desired. She wanted to be just Lucy, a person with feelings and dreams and her own wants and needs.

But that just wasn't the way of the upper class. Apparently, marriage for love was unheard of and people joining for political reasons were all the rage. The nostalgia of her teenage years washed over her, and not in a good way. It kind of made her want to retch, then cry. She hated everything to do with the Kozern after her dear mother passed. She hadn't thought of that place for months and now she had to go back.

A small typed – Gods, he even had his secretary copy this down so he wouldn't have to waste his expensive ink on her – postscript at the bottom of the page had her squinting in annoyance before groaning.

 _I will be sending a car for you at six o'clock sharp the evening of the nineteenth._

 _The driver will escort you to the dining hall when you arrive._

In other words, he was sending Capricorn and most likely Taurus to "chaperon" her – more like hold her hand like a child – so that she wouldn't run away again.

Lucy had glanced at the calendar on her lacrima com and blanched, seeing that the nineteenth was in three days. There wasn't much time to do anything but buy a dress – even though anything she put on would garner nothing but disapproval by her father – and basically sign away her future.

After much deliberation – like…two full minutes of it – she thought _screw it_ and would let Cancer (Her mother's favourite designer and fashion forward friend) take care of all the little details. Lucy decided to make an appointment tomorrow with the man who still called her 'Shrimp' and the burden of dressing herself in something that she wouldn't normally be caught dead in was lifted from her shoulders.

She let Jason know that she would finish the MMA piece, but that it might be her last one as something had come up at home – Jason was privy to her slight freak out earlier and her rant about her father and how her last name brought nothing but trouble – and he looked guiltily at her and gave his apology. Which she accepted gracefully and with a small smile. It wasn't like he knew why she kept her name hidden, but he sure as hell understood now.

Trudging back to her desk, she sorted through everything on her table and placed most of the papers that she had wanted to look into, or projects for the future into a box that she wanted to label "Dreams My Father Fucked Over" and shoved them to the back of her desk.

Lucy searched the internet for some way to get out of an arranged marriage. What else could she do really? Lay down and take his backwards ideals?

Fuck no.

However, two hours and six mildly reputable sites later, she had her answer, and it wasn't really what she wanted.

There were only four ways to either physically or legally get out of this arranged marriage (seriously…this wasn't the dark ages!).

1\. A death of one of the parties.

2\. A problem with the written contract that results in the nullification of said contract.

3\. One of the party's whereabouts is unknown.

4\. Marriage to another person before the contract is signed and sealed bearing the crest of both parties.

If Lucy knew her father, that contract would already be drawn up and ready for her signature – as well as her eager husbands – and there was no way that he would make a mistake on anything that would make him richer than he already was. She didn't want to die, and she was done with running.

So.

That left her with one option. Marriage to another person, which was less than likely in the three days that she had left before the ball.

Lucy was suddenly kicking her own ass for not putting herself out there more often over the years, she had barely dated before, and only had a meaningful relationship with a kind man named Drew a year ago that had ended after they found they worked better as friends, and had focused on her writing and the magazine as that had been her dream since a very early age.

She signed off her computer and gathered her purse and keys to her car in the parking lot downstairs, waved at Jason before resigning herself to her fate.

Her hopes soared for a moment when she remembered she still had one last piece to write before she was locked down in some cold mansion with a man who didn't give a crap about her dreams. She would make this her best article yet, and she was determined to give it her all.

Look out world, Lucy fucking Heartfilia was ready to take it by storm (for exactly two days and eleven hours, then she would become nothing better than a doll to some rich billionaire).

* * *

 **-ooo-**

* * *

The fight between the two headliners had been riveting. Both men were large, had well-defined muscles and trim waists. Although, that was where their similarities had ended.

While Black Steel had been all dark and brooding, scowl plastered on his face and eyes full of determination as black as his hair, Salamander had been the complete opposite. Yes, he had been determined to win, Lucy was sure of it, but the man weaved and dove and struck Black Steel with precision she had never witnessed before. Salamander made MMA fighting look like a goddamn art and with his pink-hair, forest green eyes that seemed to crackle and spark with live flames, tanned skin littered with an array of scars, tattoos and piercings (not as many as Black Steel, seriously the man looked like he had walked into the business end of a tackle box) he was one of the most stunning men Lucy had ever seen in her entire existence.

She watched with bated breath as Salamander had wrangled his opponent into a sleeper hold and used his weight to pin Black Steel to the mats, their limbs twisted in combinations that looked entirely impossible from her angle, the pink-haired man's eyes met hers briefly and he _smiled_ at her.

Not a smirk, not a grin. A full blown toothy smile that made his impossibly perfect white teeth (she was suddenly jealous and wanted to ask him who his dentist was) glint in the light of all the flashing bulbs. His canines were slightly longer than most she'd seen, but it gave him a feral edge that sent shivers down her arms and left her fingers tingling.

Lucy looked around her discretely, was this gorgeous man – who honestly looked so damn lickable even with sweat shimmering on his tensing muscles – _actually smiling at her?_

Or probably, someone else around her. But Lucy couldn't help the little thrill that ran down her spine when his eyes had met hers. She had to actually look down at her feet to make sure that he hadn't literally blown her socks off before she remembered that she wasn't wearing any, to begin with.

While those around her were dolled up to the nines – did she just see an actual ball gown? – Lucy had opted for comfort over glam. Strappy gladiator sandals, khaki shorts and a blue shirt that accentuated her generous chest without being obvious was the standard. She definitely stood out like a sore thumb.

Maybe that's why the Salamander had been looking at her.

Suddenly she was giddy to interview these two, she had a feeling that whatever she got from them would be enough to make this last piece that she wrote the best one yet.

She could feel it in her bones.

As the bell rang and the winner was announced, Lucy had no doubt that it was Salamander, the fierce fighter that moved like fire and had the most beautiful smile she had ever seen. He caught her eye again and gave her that exact full, tooth exposing smile once again and Lucy all but melted into her seat, but this time, she did send one back his way.

* * *

 **-ooo-**

* * *

"DRAGNEEL!"

Shit.

He was in trouble. Massive trouble. Especially because his trainer, one Laxus Dreyer, didn't ever call him by his actual given name (usually it was something bitchy that had something to do with his love of fire) unless he was in deep shit.

Natsu backed up against his locker, trying to make his body as small as possible, he didn't need to look like he was trying to challenge the only trainer that could handle his explosive and uppity personality. Granted the massive blonde could probably pile-drive him into the ground using a single finger and that honestly terrified him.

But he would never, _ever_ let anyone know that. He was supposed to be the Salamander, fearless fighter of the MMA. Not Natsu, scared little boy that wet himself whenever Laxus yelled at him.

Although, most would understand his problems. Laxus had made a name for himself once upon a time as the "Thunder God" who to this day, remained undefeated. There was no one at his calibre, except, perhaps Gildarts, but that man was a drunkard lately that couldn't find his own ass with a simple map.

Also, his PR director, Erza, was known as the "Titania" and that brought a huge amount of other crap his way because even she terrified Laxus.

"Why in the hell am I just finding out you're about to be DEPORTED! You dumb piece of shit! When were you going to tell me?" Laxus' eyes sparked with barely contained fury.

Natsu rolled his eyes slightly, mumbling a response that sounded a lot like "didn't wanna die" before whimpering slightly when his trainer through his hands up in the air in the universal sign for 'fuck it.'

"Who's going to fight now dipshit? Who's going to take this shit all the way to the top? I'm going to look like a pussy in front of everyone once they figure out just what the hell is going on! Yes…I have Fullbuster, but even I know he can't hold a candle to you! You're making me look like a sucker here!"

Natsu growled at Laxus' insinuation. "I'm not going anywhere yet. I made peace with the ERA rep that's after my hide and they gave me three more months to figure out a solution, I just…haven't found one yet. Don't worry so much, I'm not going down without a fight."

"When is the dead line?"

"…seven days from now."

If someone could actually physically combust without any outside help, he was sure Laxus was about to do it.

Honestly, the whole thing was ridiculous. Just because the deportation agent – fucking Lahar – had a beef with his older brother Zeref once upon a time didn't mean that he was the same! He had a respectable job, paid his taxes, and didn't make too much trouble for himself, most of the time. He had been born in Seven but had come here when Laxus' grandfather, Makarov, had seen him fighting on the street with a bunch of older kids.

He said that Natsu had promise, and Natsu would only come here and train if his older brother Zeref could come as well.

While Natsu had been under training filled with discipline and rigor, Zeref had decided to do the opposite by starting the very influential gang named Tartaros, blowing up a building that belonged to ERA killing many innocent people (in the name of freedom or chaos or whatever), and then when the law had cracked down…he had fled to Alvarez like the coward he was while letting everyone else take the fall. The only thing they could really get on Zeref was that his visa had expired and was trying to deport him back to his home land so that the authorities in Seven could deal with him. Zeref was crafty and there were no official charges brought down on his head.

His brother was the epitome of an evil genius if he ever saw one, and Natsu hated that he still loved him. Blood was blood, but if came down to it, the family he had made here in Fiore, more specifically in Magnolia wound always come first no matter what.

Natsu kept his last name seeing as people didn't associate him with the Zeref that was essentially a terrorist – not many knew his full name was Zeref Dragneel – but the deportation section of ERA had come after Natsu first when had just turned eighteen, but luckily Makarov had shielded him and made sure everything was in order. He had once petitioned the court for asylum for Natsu on the grounds that Zeref was fucking crazy and could come after him again – his scar on his neck still had phantom pains after all these years – but it was denied because of insufficient evidence or some shit.

So all Natsu could do was keep up with the law, until he forgot once…just once, about his visa renewal. Now, he was in violation of the terms and about to be deported. But he had sucked up to Lahar and his lackey Doranbolt and received an extension.

Which would end, unfortunately, in one week.

He had been desperate enough to call up his trainer's lawyer friend Freed that represented Fairy Tail in everything that had to do with money or justice or criminal charges – Natsu just really liked to fight and didn't tolerate anyone badmouthing Gramps or any of his family – and had found out that to keep fighting here in Fiore he had only a couple of viable options.

Because of who his brother was, it severely cut down on the type of visas that would be allowed to accept. He had applied for full citizen status months before, but the government here was slow and more likely than not, would be denied because of Zeref and Lahar had a stick up his ass a mile long.

One option was the work visa, but that didn't apply because he had never really gone to school for _fighting_ or martial arts, the family petition was out because his only living relative up and vanished leaving nine followers behind that swore vengeance on his whole family should they be released from prison. He wasn't a student, nor was he a tourist.

He used to hold a visa called "Extraordinary Ability" but they weren't handed out to just anyone anymore. So, that left three options.

1\. His employer, who was technically Makarov who owned the gym that he trained at, could petition for a "skilled worker" visa.

2\. He could get married to someone born and raised here in Fiore before the time limit was up.

3\. Say screw you to the man and entirely disregard their rules, live as an illegal alien and go on the lamb like his no good brother. He could run, but he was such a high-profile fighter that he was always being recognised by someone, it wasn't like he could just escape anyways.

Damn his salmon coloured hair to the pits of hell, but he refused to dye it under any circumstances. It was all that was left of his real father, that and a ratty white scarf.

MMA fighters were in such a grey area that they were technically athletes who contracted themselves out under Fiore law so the first option was out, and he didn't want to be anything like Zeref, so that left option two.

Which made him want to cry because who in their right mind would to marry him of all people? He was brash, spoke his mind, cried at every children's movie that involved a dog, owned a blue (yes that's right, blue) cat named Happy, loved fire a bit too much and was a massive child at heart.

Also, he ate enough for three grown men almost every day, and messily if his friends were telling the truth.

Truthfully, he wouldn't mind a wife and a family, he just hadn't found anyone that fired him up like that. Natsu had once thought that Lisanna could be someone who he could comfortably fall in love with, but that just wasn't in the cards for them. They had agreed together that they were better as friends, and she was basically half in love with a woodworker named Bickslow by that time.

Natsu sometimes believed in love at first sight, but at the moment, didn't truly think it would happen to him. He had nothing against those who had all the luck in the world, but it seemed that his had run out.

When he did finally find a woman that could take his shit and weird habits and _still_ love him, then he would marry her the next fucking day.

Because why wait?

At least that's what he used to think before all this deportation nonsense. But, at the most, he would be shipped back to Seven where no one had ever heard his name before and become a firefighter or something.

Actually, that didn't sound half bad.

Natsu nodded to himself as Laxus ranted and raved, calling him names the whole time while taping up his hands. Whatever happened next, would happen and he couldn't think too much about it because he had his last fight against 'Black Steel' – one of his good friends who sometimes fought at Makarov's gym – and he wasn't going to win if he psyched himself out now.

If this was truly his last fight, he would make it one to remember, so that everyone knew his name.

His decision made he knocked his fists together to make sure the tape was correct – just like every time, it was a sort of ritual for him now – and grinned at the irate blonde still scowling down at him.

"What's done is done Laxus. There's nothing we can do about it now."

The Thunder God let out a long slow breath and nodded slightly. "Fine. Whatever. Knock em dead Salamander."

Natsu jumped in place slightly, his excitement building for the upcoming fight. "I'm all fired up!"

Look out world, Natsu fucking Dragneel is ready to take it by storm!

* * *

 **-ooo-**

* * *

His fight was going better than he thought it would.

It could have something to do with the fact that Black Steel – his actual name was Gajeel Redfox – was slightly distracted by his _very_ pregnant fiancé sitting in the front row looking like she was about to pop and push out his shorty any moment now.

Oh well, it worked in his favour either way. Gajeel was distracted and he had to wait for his child just a little longer, or Levy would finally go into labour and Natsu would become an uncle.

For a split second, Natsu was inexplicably jealous of Gajeel. He had a soon to be wife and was a soon to be a father in his own right. And what did Natsu have?

A fighting career that he might have to leave behind, a terrifying PR director, a sort of cousin in Laxus, Gramps, and thousands of adoring fans. And Happy.

And that's it.

No ring on his finger, no bun in the oven. No house in the suburbs with white picket fence and two and a half dogs to feed.

He burned a bit from the need to experience that, to have a place where he was entirely accepted and could be someone that his girlfriend…wife…lover…friend… _whatever_ could count on to bring home milk or buy her chocolate ice-cream and chicken wings at three in the morning if she had a weird craving that she would eat together in a big bowl that sat on her huge tummy while he talked nonsense to his unborn daughter and son.

Yes. He wanted twins. He was a winner at heart and knew that his little swimmers would do their damndest to make him a father twice over on the first fucking try.

Natsu wanted a home more than anything. Sure Gramps gave him stability and had come to see him as a son over the years, but Natsu was brought from Seven for his fighting skills and potential, not because Makarov had wanted to adopt him.

Essentially he had no one truly close to him and Natsu wanted…someone. He wanted something more.

His train of thought cost him as Black Steel got his focus back after his fiancé had screamed something that sounded a lot like "if you don't get your ass in gear I'm naming this baby Marvin!". Natsu caught a right hook to the jaw that snapped him back to the present and pushed those depressing thoughts back out of his mind.

Future Natsu could deal with that shit. Right now he needed to focus on the man that was hitting him with fists that felt like they were made of iron.

He ducked, then feinted right, then used a sleeper hold on Black Steel to keep him subdued while trying to keep the fucker – who outclassed him in weight alone, the bastard was a heavy one – from slipping out of the hold to get the drop on him.

Natsu tangled his legs with Gajeel's when he felt his hold loosen slightly and they came to a stalemate. With nothing better to do while Black Steel struggled to find leverage, Salamander swept his gaze out towards the chairs and stands that crowed the cage. Flashes temporarily blinded him from fans and the press before his gaze landed on someone who looked a little out of place.

While most were dressed in fancy clothes that looked entirely too uncomfortable, the woman who had captured his attention sat still, pencil at the ready above her notebook, a look of awe in her wide brown eyes which sparkled with something that he couldn't see. She was wearing a simple t-shirt and shorts combo and Natsu liked that she seemed to disregard everyone around her and focused solely on him.

She was beautiful, that much was sure. So Natsu flashed her his best smile, hoping to get a reaction out of her and he was entirely amused to see her look around as if he could be smiling at someone else.

His interest was piqued. Didn't this woman know how enticing she was? Didn't she feel the gazes of the other males in her vicinity? How could she ever doubt that he was giving her his best grin?

He wanted to show off for this pretty stranger a little bit, and he was going to put his all into it. When she wrote about him in whatever paper she represented, she would have to say it was the most exciting fight she had ever witnessed.

Their gaze was broken once again as Gajeel brute forced his way out of the hold and they grappled and tumbled for a while. A grunt tore from his lips and Black Steel laughed his stupid 'gihi' as the wind was knocked out from his chest from a well-placed knee to the gut.

Natsu backed off and chose to circle instead, calculating the best angles and looking for his chance to end this once and for all. He wanted the title of 'Best in Fiore,' he owed it to himself for all the shit he had to put up with in his life, owed it to Gramps and Laxus and Erza too. But he also owed it to that mystery woman who had given him her complete attention, if only for a moment.

Gajeel left his left flank unguarded and Natsu saw the opportunity and took it. Thirty seconds later, Black Steel had tapped out and the ref was lifting the Salamander's fist up, announcing for all to see that he was the champion.

 _Finally._

Natsu heaved for breath and searched for that blonde that he had seen before. If he was truly leaving soon back to Seven, he would take any chance at being happy here in Fiore he could take, even if that only meant that he got a smile from a pretty woman.

Their eyes connected once again across the crowd and he sent her another overly enthusiastic grin that he knew lit his face up, but he just couldn't help it.

He had won.

And this mystery woman, this unknown stranger, was the only one who he felt he had a connection with – however tenuous and small – and he wanted to share this feeling with her, and only her.

To Natsu's surprise and delight, she smiled back, and damn if that didn't that make him feel like he was on top of the world.

* * *

 **-ooo-**

* * *

"Thank you Gajeel, I know you probably want to get back home, I'm sorry about all those questions. You did come out all this way and I know it must be hard on both of you, especially Levy." Lucy crossed her legs and shifted into a more comfortable position.

She had nearly sprinted backstage after the fight was over, waved her press badge from Sorcerer Weekly in the guards face quickly before ploughing head long into Black Steel's back. He had picked her up, dusted her off and set her back on her feet before dubbing her "Bunny Girl" and demanded to know what she was doing back there.

After the small blue-haired woman Lucy had learned was his fiancée named Levy McGarden – a fellow bookworm and gatherer of knowledge – had slapped his elbow (she was too short to reach anything else) and told him to play nice, she had wrangled them both into a sitting room to ask the MMA fighter a bunch of questions.

Levy had left to pee once again and Lucy decided that the woman looked adorable as she was eighty percent belly and waddled like a penguin. She was just so cute. Lucy had accidentally said that last part out loud but was surprised to hear laughter come from Gajeel, and they got along swimmingly ever since.

"All good Bunny. The drive back to Magnolia isn't that long, only an hour and a bit. She'll fall asleep helping me navigate…happens every time. Shrimp's been moody lately, so talking to you gives me a bit of a break from her mood swings."

"Pregnancy is pretty insane isn't it?"

"Tell me about it. She pees constantly, is always swelling, and eats weird things. I can't wait till this boy is born, I know he'll be a strong one if what the Shrimp says about him kicking the shit out of her bladder constantly is true."

Lucy could see that he was mostly teasing, but the love and devotion to the woman who was just now waddling her way over to them with both hands pressed to her back was almost blinding.

 _What I wouldn't give for someone to think that sunlight shone out my ass as well._

"Lu! I think we need to get out of here for the night, this little monster is craving mountains of pancakes with strange toppings," She pulled out a business card from her purse and handed it to the blonde, "Call me and we'll do lunch or just chat or something. I haven't met someone so in love with books in a long time and can't wait for you to tell me what you think about some of my favourites!"

Lucy took the card and stowed it in her back pocket for safe keeping. She smiled sadly at Levy, doubting that they would ever have the chance to become best friends like she knew they would if she didn't have to go back to her father. She didn't live anywhere close to Magnolia – the Kozern was closer to Acalypha than anything – but Lucy vowed to herself right then that if she was ever in the neighbourhood then she would visit Levy and her new little baby. "Thanks, Levy!"

The couple strode out after saying goodnight, playful banter following them out about something to do with the name Marvin before the door swung shut.

Lucy huffed and fell back against the black couch she was now sprawled across. One interview down, one to go.

A bright smile lit her face when she thought about Salamander. Giddiness swept through her at the memory of their little moment before she left the room and made her way down the long hallway reading the names of the multitude of doorways on the left-hand side.

"…maintenance…dressing room A…security…dressing room B…AH!" She had found what she was looking for.

The men's locker room. Gajeel had mentioned that it was the most likely place for Salamander to be after a fight. Apparently, the man took ungodly long hot showers to soothe his muscles or something like that. Lucy had let out a simple 'Amen' because long hot showers – and baths – were the most amazing things in Earthland after a long day.

But now, as she pushed the swinging door open and getting a blast of heated air that was mixed with a ridiculous amount of steam, she realised that there might actually be such a thing as too hot.

And then she realised that she had just barged her way into a men's locker room without knocking or announcing herself beforehand.

How embarrassing.

However, there was no one to witness her blunder – thankfully – so she corrected it by yelling out into the haze, hoping that Salamander was truly in here and not someone else.

"OI! Salamander! You in here?"

Not her finest hour, but she was tired and a bit wound up, so her politeness had already gone the way of the dodo bird.

A figure pushed his way through the steam coming to stop before her. The man was covered by a white towel around his waist – showing off that delicious 'V' that Lucy hadn't even known she could find sexy before – scrubbing another white terrycloth towel through his salmon locks.

"Yah. Erza…couldn't you just wait outside?! I know we used to bathe together as children but damn it I don't need help with my back- Oh. You aren't Erza."

Speechless, all Lucy could do was shake her head.

The man before her that looked like he was chiselled from marble and designed by the Gods himself smiled as recognition lit in his eyes. "It's you! The weird one!"

"Eh? Weird? What the hell does that mean?" The strange compliment from Salamander seemed to be enough to knock some sense into Lucy.

He grinned and tossed his towel away to the side. "I didn't mean to insult you, I just meant that you didn't dress all fancy-like. You look…comfortable." His eyes raked up and down her body like a physical caress and Lucy couldn't even deny the shiver if she wanted to.

"Why waste money on a dress for one night? I'll never understand the need for extravagance. Give me a t-shirt and jeans and I'm a happy woman."

The man threw his hands up in the air. "Thank the Gods someone understands. I knew I liked you! By the way, names Natsu…Natsu Dragneel."

Lucy stood for a moment in stunned silence before she gripped the hand he offered and shook it robotically. "…Dragneel?" She whispered.

"Yah? What about it?" He looked at her sceptically. Perhaps this woman was even weirder than he originally thought.

Her voice was still lowered when she answered. "I was the one who covered the bombing of ERA. I write for Sorcerer Weekly usually, but freelance for the local paper under the name Fairy Heart."

Natsu ripped his hand out of hers as if he was physically burned by her statement. Lucy scrambled for the words she needed to keep him from running away like his eyes told her he would. Away from this situation, away from her. He looked so panicked and worried that it seemed like he was a small child to her and that didn't sit right with Lucy in any way.

"Wait! Believe me, I know what it means to be related to someone whose name is all that people look at. Please…Don't worry. Just because Zeref's your brother, doesn't mean you're anything like him." And she did believe that. This man before her, so full of joy and passion and _drive_ was nothing like the cold, calculating murderer of all those innocents.

"How do you know what it feels like? No one really understands…" His eyes were still wary, but they pleaded with her for something to latch onto, something to show she wasn't lying out her ass for a good story.

Lucy huffed, then looked at her toes. "My name is Lucy." She looked up into his burning deep green eyes. "Lucy…Heartfilia. Heir to the Heartfilia estate." She didn't know why she told him, she had never told anyone her full title outside her boss and the landlady who she rented an apartment from her secret. But he just looked so trustworthy, and it didn't really matter anyways now.

She was going to be shipped off to be married to someone she had never met before, who cared if the world knew her as the pretty little princess Heartfilia who got lost one day and never came home?

"You're the one that ran away all those years ago!" His voice boomed as it bounced off the tiled floor and walls, making Lucy jump and swat his arm playfully.

"SHH! Not so loud! Yes. That was me, I left one day and I don't really want to go back, it was unbearable. So…I know what it's like to have your name dictate who you are, and people watch you because of who you're related to. _I understand_."

Natsu licked his lips and his easy smile slid back onto his face making Lucy sigh in relief. She really didn't want to lose this chance to speak with this man.

"So…why are you here anyways? Turned in your writing career and became a freelance peeping Tom?"

She snorted. "Obviously, however only in men's locker rooms, I haven't graduated to window watching yet. But I still write on the side, binoculars with night vision attachments are expensive."

He laughed, the sound deep and rich. It seemed to reverberate around them for much longer than it should. "I really like you now. But seriously, why did you come to find me?"

"Oh! For the interview! Didn't your PR director inform you I was coming?"

Natsu's good mood slightly fell, he thought she had snuck back stage to come find him specifically because he was just that good at charming random women with a single smile while he had another man in a head lock. But she was there for the interview that he might have heard Erza mention once before in passing. "I probably wasn't listening. But hold on for a second, I'll put some clothes on and we can go somewhere more comfortable. Feel free to snoop into the other's lockers if you feel like it."

Lucy laughed and raked her gaze down his retreating form. He really did have a nice ass.

He emerged from behind a wall a few minutes later, threw a towel into a bin with many other dirty ones, and pushed her out the door into the long hallway.

Natsu made a split-second decision that would change his entire life when he would look back after many years, this would be the turning point. But there was just something in her eyes, or in her expressions, of maybe it was just…her that made him want to be with her as much as possible.

And if he was leaving back to Seven in a couple of days, he was going to enjoy ever last moment with his new friend. "Want to get a drink? There's a bar attached to the hotel here…"

He chuckled at the way her face lit up with childish glee. "Sure. Lead the way Dragneel."

Grabbing her hand and taking off towards the back door, he shot her a saucy grin. "Don't mind if I do Heartfilia."

* * *

 **Next: Tarot**

 **So get ready for when this story really takes off. :3**

 **It ramps up a bit and speeds through the love and attraction aspect. So like...beware and shit.**

 **Stay Crazy,**

 **LoadedEel**


	3. Tarot

All Rights to Hiro Mashima

 **This...is where things go a little sideways. ALSO, I WILL NEVER DRINK TEQUILA AGAIN! (flashbacks are in italics...you'll see them it's super obvious, sorry about all the line breaks...)**

BEWARE THE HANGOVER! IN THE NAME OF LOVE!

* * *

 **~ Tarot ~**

 _In which both mildly freak out, subdued chaos ensues, decisions are made, stories are told, and low key shit hits the proverbial fan. (Don't judge they're hung over)_

* * *

"Ugh."

Lucy felt like someone had run her over with a train.

Then backed it up, then run over her again for good measure.

"What the fuck…" She whined. Her head throbbed, her stomach was in knots, she knew her breath absolutely reeked because even she could smell it, and she _hurt_. Like bone deep. Her muscles were tense and sore, in ways that she didn't even know she could be.

"Owwww…" Rolling over was a bad idea. Moving was a terrible idea.

But opening her eyes to be blinded by low lighting…that was the worst idea yet.

Until she heard someone else groan. It was masculine and deep and hazy memories drifted through her brain before she realised that there was _someone else_ in the room with her. She shot up straight in bed – which was another one of those terrible ideas – and her stomach gave a sickening twirl. Launching off the mattress, the fact that she was entirely naked except for a white scarf around her neck not even fazing her, she got to the toilet and emptied everything she had in her stomach into it.

 _Ugh. Tequila. Never again._

Lucy could taste the regret in every heave.

She rested her forehead on the rim and flushed before she felt amazingly warm hands brush her hair away from her sweaty face, drape a sheet over her naked form, and then rub her back soothingly.

She moaned and again, realised that there was someone else with her here, witnessing this train wreck that was her hangover. She peeked at the man who was caring for her so tenderly to see pink hair and a small pained grimace. "Natsu?"

He grunted, his face paler than she remembered. "What the hell happened last night?"

She watched him close his eyes as his hands trailed up and down his forearms, over the tattoos that rippled up over his biceps. Was he cold? "Last thing I remember was…a stripper, then a challenge. Then…"

"Tequila shots…yah. Me too."

"You alright? I heard you say 'ow' a bunch. Are you in any pain? Do you think you fell last night or something?"

She grumbled in her head at the soreness of her body. _Not unless falling vagina first onto a penis was an accident..._

Lucy took stock of her body for a moment before closing her eyes again against the harsh glare of the sun glinting off the dull linoleum floor. "Well, other than the fact that my everything is fucking throbbing to the beat of a thousand war drums, I'm all good. I just…I'm...really _really_ thirsty right now."

"Hold on." She watched him retreat out of the bathroom and was gifted the sight of his very naked ass and the acronym 'E.N.D' tattooed in spikey letters across his shoulder blades.

One thing was for sure. Lucy definitely thought he had a nice ass. And the tattoos looked...deviously enticing. She kind of wanted to lick them, if that made any sense.

* * *

 _Heavy breathing._

 _The taste of skin and sweat and sex... it was slow and everything around her was dark, the pressure was building gradually, just looking for release._

 _A single groan, panting, flashing green eyes the colour of sin._

 _"Luce..."_

 _And then white hot pleasure._

* * *

Lucy shook off the feeling of large warm hands on her skin, on her back, her thighs, _inside her_.

He returned with a glass of cool water in his hands moments later and she mental thanked every God there ever was for the creation of this man. She drank down every last drop in seconds and it was the best thing she had ever tasted.

Lucy decided that now was as good time as any to ask him the difficult question that was sitting in the middle of the room like a gigantic elephant. First, she slumped onto the bathroom floor and laid her cheek against the cool tiles. "So. Why do you think we're both naked?"

Obviously, she knew _why_ they were both without their clothing, but she didn't want to believe it was true until he said it out loud. Her lady bits were sore and that usually only meant one thing.

"Uh. Sex. We had…sex."

Yep. There it was.

Lucy squinted her eyes at him to watch his reaction. He seemed…neutral. Neither cocky about getting laid, nor was he devastated, he looked passively alright with that fact.

"You sure?" She knew it was true. She could remember the sensations, a ghost of his hands and his lips and _damn_ she was aroused again, but also felt like puking. What a weird combination.

"Yah. The two used condoms in the garbage can are all the proof I need." Plus...he could see his hand prints on the top of her upper arms already turning a dark purple, a sticky sensation around his dick, and there were like...at _least thirty_ love bites all over her creamy skin. _Damn, was I always so territorial? Or rough? Shit._

"Huh. At least we remembered protection." She could thank her lucky stars for that one because honestly, she could barely remember her name at the moment.

"…Yah." A slightly awkward silence followed. What did one say to another party of the infamous one night stand? So Lucy decided to burry her nose into the scarf that was still draped around her neck and breathed in a calming scent of campfire and trees and something that sent her mind back to nights were her mother and her used to stay out late and watch the stars.

He squinted at Lucy, watching as she breathed deeply laying totally on the floor without a care for the fact that he could see her breasts mashed up against the floor or half her ass hanging out of the sheet. Although, she was beautiful in her messy glory and looked absolutely ridiculously hot in only his scarf. Was it too early to tell her that? Would she think him tactless? "Honestly. I thought you would freak out more."

Lucy laughed, then groaned as her forehead gave another painful throb. "Me too. Just give me until this hangover goes away then I'll beat your ass into the ground Dragneel. I've never had a one night stand before…I don't know the proper edict for these things. Are you supposed to be weirdly okay with it? Because I don't feel..."

"Weird?"

"Yah. That."

Natsu shrugged then regretted the action immediately as his body gave a painful throb. Why the hell was he so sore?

* * *

 _Ten nails dug into his shoulders as he pounded into the woman below him. The scent of roses and sin in the air._

 _"That all you got Dragneel? I can take it. Don't worry..." A tongue swirled around his ear before the lobe was nibbled lightly. "...I can take it all..."_

 _He snarled deep within his chest. "Don't mock a Dragon Luce..." He flipped her over onto her stomach and spread the globes of her ass wide before plunging into her as she screamed into the pillow._

 _Shuddering, he let loose and gave her everything he had, every thrust, every growl, ever expletive, every word of adoration._

 _Biting down into her shoulder, he muffled a groan. She was so damn tight, so wet, so fucking hot and perfect around him. "You might get burned."_

 _She shattered into a million pieces dragging him over the edge._

* * *

Natsu shook off the feeling of her succumbing to euphoria in his arms, now was definitely not the time to pop a boner, being entirely naked had its drawbacks, but he liked the way her eyes flicked over him periodically. "I dunno, but to my understanding there's a lot more silence, pretending to be asleep, then something called the 'walk of shame' but I'm only going by what Fullbuster has told me before." His friend was the King of the One Night Stand, taking a new woman home every evening.

Lucy cracked open her eyes to watch him – unashamed of her near nakedness as the sheet that was covering her had shifted in her flopping around on the floor and he was completely bare, which at this point Lucy couldn't give two shits about mostly because he was gorgeous and toned _hotdamn_ – as Natsu raked his hand through messy spikes atop his head.

And her heart stopped and she gasped. Lucy's stomach turned again and she sprung up to dry heave bile into the porcelain bowl once more. Natsu's warm hands grounded her and she felt infinitely better until she remembered what had brought on this expulsion.

She weakly smiled at him then flushed the toilet and gestured to his fingers that lay curled over her shoulder. "I didn't know you were married…I'm so sorry." Her voice cracked from the lack of moisture.

"What? I don't even have a girlfriend."

"Then why do you have a wedding band on you left hand?" Now she was getting annoyed. How could this man deny the facts? People didn't just wear those things as a fashion statement. She was madder at herself for either not noticing or disregarding it last night, it takes two to tango after all.

He gaped at the golden band. "What the actual fuck…?"

"Tch. How could you forget that you're married?" Were all men this idiotic?

Natsu pointed at her as well with a fierce look in his eyes that was oddly endearing. "What about you? You're being awfully hypocritical right now!"

And there, on her left hand, laid a simple golden wedding ring, the twin or pair to the one that Natsu had wrapped around his finger.

"Shit."

"Let me guess…you weren't married up until last night as well?"

"You got it."

"What...just...what?"

"Either we both married separate people then decided to cheat on our wedding nights...or..."

"We married each other."

She nodded, totally at a loss for words. When had that happened before? She always knew what to say! What to write. She was a master at words!

"Lucy…come here for a second."

She did as he asked and shimmied away from the toilet like a caterpillar, barrel rolling slowly over the floor towards the bathtub where Natsu sat, her bare breasts sticking slightly to the cool floor, the scarf dragging along behind her like a tail. "Why?"

"Cause I'm definitely going to hurl."

It was Lucy's turn to pat him on the back and comfort him as last night's drinks came back up for round two.

 _Fucking Tequila…_

* * *

 **-ooo-**

* * *

Feeling mildly better, the apparent newlyweds – Lucy needed to see documentation before she accepted what they had done – sat sipping black coffee (Natsu) and herbal tea with honey (Lucy) in a booth at the diner just down the street from where they had woken up. Which turned out to be a combination hotel and casino in the heart of downtown Crocus. Coincidentally, it was also where the MMA fighters had gone at it, the 'cage' having been built for occasions such as last night. According to Lucy's research, it brought it about the same amount of money as the casino did in a month.

They had woken up inside his own hotel room - one of the executive suites that he was gifted by the owner Moka, of the Hotel-casino 'Galuna Island' - which allowed Natsu to dress in a new outfit that didn't smell like a brewery and Lucy had immediately stolen a forest green t-shirt to wear over her shorts. She looked adorable - to him at least - drowning in his clothes. He felt happy that she seemed to be...alright with all of this so far. She hadn't kicked him through a wall (yet) nor had she yelled, but he didn't hold his breath on that last one because she was hung-over still and loud noises were a strict no-no.

She had tried to give him back his beloved scarf, only for him to wrap it securely around her neck reverently. It just...looked so much better on her and she had said it was soft and smelled nice. She liked it and he liked to look at her in it. So...it was a win-win for him. He also liked seeing her look at him with so much understanding in her eyes when he had told her who it had once belonged to.

Although they had just woken up to the strangest situation and one of the weirdest hangovers they had ever had, neither felt as awkward as they should. They sat together on one side of the table, Natsu had draped his arm over her shoulder and Lucy was snuggled into his side.

One, he was warm.

Two, he was obscenely comfortable and he smelled nice after the shower they had had – separately.

And three…she just felt like it. There wasn't any real reason, and he didn't protest in the slightest.

Plus, they were married – apparently – so screw impropriety. Her new husband was stupidly warm and she wanted snuggles. She also didn't care if he was practically a stranger because honestly, it felt like she had known him her whole life.

An instant connection as he mother once said. Very rare, but worth its weight in gold.

"So…let's piece last night together. I had a couple of flashbacks in the shower and I really want to know just what the hell prompted this –" Lucy gestured at their left hands with a sweep of her right, "decision."

He grunted his acceptance and Lucy started.

"We went to the bar that was attached to the hotel to get a drink and start the interview…oh right, we ran into a bunch of your friends that had come from Magnolia to watch you win."

* * *

 _"Nice to meet you all! I'm Lucy, I write for Sorcerer Weekly and we're doing a piece on the two fighters that went head to head tonight."_

 _"Yo. I'm Gray, this is Cana, Juvia, Lyon, and Sting."_

* * *

Natsu waved his hand for a refill and ordered six slices of lightly buttered toast from a passing waitress. "Right. I forgot the popsicle was here, he threw down with some punk from the RavenTail gym in Hargeon. He stripped down to his boxers again didn't he?"

Lucy giggled and wrinkled her nose, which he couldn't help but think was entirely too cute and should be illegal for his poor poor heart. "Yeah. I can't believe he has a problem with chronic stripping. Sounds completely made up."

He rolled his eyes. "Believe me, it's real. You would not believe how many times I've seen his dick before, accidentally of course. He either hates clothing or likes the breeze. No one knows for sure. You would think we would be used to it by now…"

* * *

 _"Where the hell are your clothes you pervert!?"_

 _"Shit. Again?" The one named Gray ambled off to find his disappearing shirt while unbuckling his belt, then the button on his pants and flinging his jeans off on the way to find said clothes._

 _"Juvia…"_

 _"Juvia will help him. Don't worry. After last month's warning of public indecency, someone should always be watching him." Blue hair swayed as the woman ran off behind the stripping man while apologizing to the other patrons along the way._

 _Lucy laughed. She had just met these extraordinary people, but they seemed so exciting and welcoming already. She loved it._

 _"Want me to tell your future?"_

* * *

"The one named…Cana? Right? Long brown hair and wearing a bikini? Told my fortune with those cards of hers." The toast arrived and Lucy nibbled gratefully on an edge, the bland breakfast helping to settle the last of her nausea.

Natsu rubbed warm circles on her shoulder and devoured his slice in four massive bites. "Yeah. She does that to everyone who's new to the group."

Lucy quirked her eyebrow. "You think I'm part of the group? Already? But I just met you all yesterday!" Not to mention she didn't really remember all of it and hand no idea if they even liked her.

However, Natsu looked at her like she was stupid, so she rolled her eyes and leant back onto him reaching for another piece to find only one slice left. "Obviously, and not much can change that now. It's kinda like the mafia, my group of friends are insane, but entirely loyal. We're a family. But once you're in, you're in for life."

She smiled. Being a part of something because she was just…Lucy sounded incredibly nice.

* * *

 _"Hmmm…according to my cards, you have a problem with only few solutions. But the one you think will never happen is right around the corner. Your solution will be the solution to someone else's problem as well. Think two birds one stone."_

 _"That's it?" Lucy slumped in her seat and took a long draught of her beer that Natsu had slid to her moments before. Mmmm, honey ale, the good kind. This man was definitely a gift from the Gods. "That sounds so…vague."_

 _Cana shrugged. "It also says it'll eventually lead to happiness, possibly love. So…I wouldn't fight it if I were you. Seems like something exciting is coming for you." Lucy eyed her pink-haired companion who was jabbing his finger into Gray's naked chest, arguing over who took down their respective opponent first earlier that day._

 _The brown-haired card reader smirked and wiggled her eyebrows at Lucy trying to see her reaction, to get her flustered._

 _To her surprise, Lucy only winked._

* * *

After that interesting tarot reading, Natsu had wondered about her problem, pestering her about it until her loose lips had spilt her secrets – alcohol was wonderful that way.

"Shit. I remember now. Your father wants to marry you off to some hoity-toity rich dude for a bunch of money. Ugh. No wonder you escaped."

Lucy nodded. "I have a feeling that's what Cana's cards meant. After last night…I believe in those witchy things without a shadow of a doubt. She was too accurate for her not to have some special powers."

Natsu laughed and leant his head back to rest against the vinyl of the booth seat. "I know what you mean. She once read Gajeel's palm and told him that his fiancée would be half his size and give him a son before he turned twenty-eight. This was…like…seven years ago. Back before liking a woman meant taking her out and not just making fun of her because of complicated feelings. He bet her his Harley that she was wrong. Cana rides that thing constantly now, _just_ to rub it in his face."

Lucy whistled. "Damn."

"She was fucking spot on." Honestly, Cana sometimes scared him with her predictions.

He watched Lucy concentrate hard on something while fiddling with her new ring. His heart swelled and fell at the same time. He had actually gone a fucking married a girl, then had sex with her (twice), but couldn't remember what was supposed to be the best night of his life, only receiving little stupid snippets over the course of the morning.

How dumb was that?

He hoped that they could work something out, he knew he could easily fall in love with this woman. Hell, he was half-way there already after a single drunken night and a strange as fuck morning that actually was extremely relaxing after the initial shock and puking part. There was something about her that he just wanted to keep for himself, and he would be damned if he let her go too easily. If anything, she had slid into the role of his best friend easily and he was entirely fine with that.

"This is where I'm a little hazy on the details…"

* * *

 _"How about a drinking contest!?"_

 _Natsu shook his head and downed the rest of his bourbon. "Absolutely not! No one can beat you and you know it! You're a fucking monster Cana."_

 _Sting laughed and swung an arm around Lucy's shoulders to which the blonde giggled at and shoved him off. Lucy was a bit on the tipsy side already and she was so fucking adorable with her blush and slightly slurred speech that Natsu could hardly stand it._

 _He also felt immensely proud as the woman sauntered over to him – damn were those hips of hers sexy as all hell – and plopped herself down into his lap. "I'll take you on Cana!"_

 _He blanched and wound his arms around her waist. "You sure about that Luce? Cana's a drinking champion, never lost a challenge…" Cana smirked behind her beer stein, these two...were interesting. She had never seen Natsu act so open to another person before._

 _"Then help me! We can be a team!" The blonde punched the air with a rousing cry that had Lyon and Sting echoing._

 _Immediately his attitude took a one-eighty spin and he was suddenly all fired up. "You hear that Cana! Luce and I are gonna take you down!"_

 _They were so confident until she brought out the drink of choice._

 _Fucking Tequila._

* * *

"Ugh. No. Never again. I will never, ever challenge Cana. Or drink Tequila. Or drink period. No…just no."

He chuckled and twirled a piece of her golden hair between his fingers watching the sunlight glint off his new ring. "I hear yah, Luce. I remember…losing, obviously. No one beats Cana. Then…yelling?"

* * *

 _"DEPORTED?"_

 _"I KNOW!"_

 _"WHO THE FUCK DO THEY THINK THEY ARE? THEY CAN'T TAKE YOU AWAY FROM ME! I JUST FOUND YOU!"_

 _"I KNOW!"_

 _"I'M PRETTY SURE I LOVE YOU! YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED TO LEAVE ME ALONE! I DON'T WANNA MARRY SOME STUPID RICH MAN AND HAVE HIS STUPID BABIES!"_

 _"I LOVE YOU TOO! I'LL MARRY YOU INSTEAD, THEN THOSE STUPID MEN WILL LEAVE YOU ALONE AND YOU CAN HAVE LIKE...THIRTY OF MY BABIES!"_

 _"YOU PROMISE?"_

 _"YAH!"_

* * *

Lucy covered her eyes with her hands and wailed quietly. This…situation had been his fault. Yes, she had agreed, but really it was all his idea. She didn't even know why she would even agree to this while she was drunk. Was she that desperate for human companionship?

A look over at Natsu's face as he barely contained a snort of laughter had her insides melting into a puddle, he was fucking adorable and cute and hot and sexy…and stupidly endearing.

She was plastered like a Lucy barnacle to this man who she had met only yesterday, _married_ – sweet mother of Mavis she was fucking married – then did the deed with said man (twice).

Yah.

She was practically starved of this kind of attention and she was obviously revelling in she actually yell that she loved Natsu in the middle of a crowded bar? And promise him to marry her? And then agree to have his hordes of children?

The answer was a resounding yes.

Yes she did.

But it didn't matter, future Lucy could deal with the other stuff because all she wanted to do was relax in this sweet mans strong arms and just...stop thinking for a while.

"Why the fuck are you even laughing? Nothing about this problem is funny!"

His laughter ended mid-hiccup. "Problem? Is being married to me really that terrible? I'll tell you I'm a real catch! I'm hot and sexy and I can toast a mean piece of bread and I have a cat that's blue named Happy and if anyone ever looks at you wrong I know like…fifty different ways to knock them out with only my pinky-"

"…Natsu…"

"I'm strong, after last night I'll never drink again, and I think you're super adorable and cute and I love your laugh and the way your nose scrunches when you're thinking and we're already married so I think I can say that the sex was wicked – I hope…probably – and I really don't want to see you with anyone else…Did I mention that I'm super sexy, own my own house and want at least thirteen children?"

"…Natsu…?"

"…I have no allergies, I eat everything, I like fire and always make the best smores and love to camp and be outdoors and dammit I'm fucking amazing…so if you don't want me I guess I'll just go back to Seven and start over with my cat and no friends and become a hermit who is also a firefighter on the si-"

Lucy cut off his rambling by stuffing the last piece of now cold toast into his mouth – which he choked on a little – before sighing exasperatedly at him, but still had an amused look in her eye. "Shut up for a minute, will you. Gods…What I meant was it might be a problem for you."

"Oh."

"Yeah. This," She waved her ring in front of his wide eyes, "actually solves _my_ problem, to be entirely honest. Legally, being married was the only way to get out of the arranged marriage bullshit that my father is forcing me into. It was either that, running away again, or kicking the bucket."

"Dear Gods…what are we in? The dark ages? Who has arranged marriages anymore?"

"…exactly my point. I knew I liked you." She shot him a wink that made his stomach flip, and not in a nauseous way this time.

A flicker of a smile turned up the edges of his mouth for a moment before Natsu frowned deeply in obvious thought.

"Huh. Weirdly enough…it also solves mine. It gives me rights under the Fiore law that I wouldn't have normally if I was a single person petitioning for full-time status as an immigrant from Seven."

"Deportation right?"

"Yah, ERA had a beef with Zeref, but they can't get to him when he fled to Alvarez…no extradition treaties I think…so they came after me instead. Thought that being his brother, they would threaten me with something and he would come running to help me, or better yet "get the scum outta Fiore and back were it belongs' which apparently included everyone that is related to Zeref." Natsu quoted with his fingers and pulled a twistedly disgusuted face. "Thank the Gods that Makarov shielded me for years."

"That's bullshit! You know what! I'm fucking glad we're married now, so you can stick it in those pricks faces that you're not going anywhere! I think you belong here, in Fiore, in Magnolia, fighting and eating stupid amounts of food and accidentally binding yourself to another person who you've known for less than a full day."

Natsu laughed and tightened his one armed hold on his new little wife who made his life so much better in the course of only a single day. He wished he had known her sooner, much _much_ sooner. "Where the hell have you been all my life?" He eyed her, the question - while in a teasing tone - was one he desperately wanted an answer for.

Lucy nodded slowly like she understood _exactly_ what he meant and then shrugged. She had been living behind golden cage bars, then pursuing her dream, but she did wish she had met this man before today, he would have brought so much joy into her dull boring life. _Imagine the adventures..._

"So…this solution to my problem…I also the solution to your problem?"

"Yes." He grinned sheepishly. Don't get him wrong, he thinks Lucy is amazing and funny and wonderful, but he wants to be a bit selfish and say that the marriage thing would help him out as well, because who the fuck says that he loves her already and wants to have like…a million kids with her after knowing a person for less than twenty-four hours? He _wants_ to stay here in Fiore. He _wants_ to stay married to Lucy. He _wants_ to have a big family that is just his, blood or no blood, because it was his choice.

Lithe fingers traced along the spirally tribal tattoos that wound around his right arm, whether it was unconscious or not didn't matter to Natsu because it was soothing in all the right ways but also fired up the blood in his veins. What the hell was this woman doing to him?

He liked it.

Lucy suddenly slumped forward hitting her head on the table in front of this making the silverware jump slightly. "Fuck. Cana is a damn witch. She was so fucking accurate I'm actually kinda scared of her powers now."

Natsu snorted and waved down the waitress for the bill. "Welcome to my world, filled with a brown-haired drunk with uncanny superpowers and a perchance for knowing all the dirt on everyone in Magnolia."

"Scary."

"Her girlfriend's scarier."

"Who is it?"

"The She-Devil Mirajane Strauss. Face of an angel, mind of a demon. She's used to be a figure skater, but ditched that to open a bar in magnolia with an attached restaurant with her brother and sister"

"Shit. No way! I know Mira! She and I did a little modelling together before I decided to submit some written work to my boss Jason. She's such a sweetheart and so pretty. She is definitely not scary." Lucy looked at him like he was out of his mind.

"Believe me, she's terrifying. A demon in designer sheep's clothing if ever I saw one."

"…alright. I'll believe you." She obviously didn't, but she would learn one way or the other that Mira was a Demon.

He pulled her from the booth after slapping down the correct jewel and a hefty tip and ushered her out the door. "So…what now Miss Heartfilia?"

Lucy started off down the street towards the casino hotel that had started it all. "I want to take a look at that marriage license. It needs to be pristine and in total working order or my father's team of lawyers will rip that contract apart, draw up a new one and have me married to some rich fat guy with a comb over before you can say 'oops'."

Natsu marched them off towards that chapel on the second floor determined to make sure these nuptials stuck like glue. He was a possessive bastard and something about the way that little ring around Lucy's finger made him practically growl at the possibility that she would be taken away from him.

She was _his_ _wife_ for better or for worse.

* * *

 **-ooo-**

* * *

"Welcome back to the Starry Skies Chapel! Was your love everything you hoped it would be?"

The woman looked so love-drunk that Lucy almost didn't want to approach her.

This was all just so _weird_.

* * *

 _They were both drunk and they knew it but obviously, they didn't care all that much. To them, this was the easiest thing they had ever done._

 _It made too much sense not to do it._

 _The loved each other, so why wait?_

 _Lucy giggled and hung off his arm as they both signed a waiver, albeit slightly sloppily. "Natchu! You don't have a middle name? That's so sad!" She pouted at him and he couldn't resist bending down and placing a wet sloppy kiss to her lips, she was just so adorable. Her lip gloss tasted like cherries._

 _Lucy was stunned for a minute before grinning widely. "Mmmm. You taste good."_

 _He handed the clipboard back to the woman, Sherry, and the receptionist smiled. "If it's all in order, you can step right in. The Reverend Richard will be doing the ceremony tonight, in the name of love! Your witness can stand up with you if you like, or they can sit in the chairs provided."_

 _Lucy swung his clasped hands back and forth between them before he pecked her on the nose, her freckles were just begging for it anyways. "Okay! Let's get hitched!"_

* * *

Lucy squinted at the woman's name badge and then took in Sherry's brilliantly fuchsia hair. "I remember you…from last night! How could you authorise a marriage between two people that were so obviously shit-faced?!"

Sherry dropped the welcome act and shrugged, indifferent. Honestly, she had seen it so many times before, it was nothing new and as long as they did it of their own volition... "It's policy. Nothing gets in the way of love here."

Lucy huffed. "Whatever, we just came for the marriage certificate and license and we'll be on our way."

Sherry dug up the corresponding paperwork and handed them a manila folder. "Here you go! Have a love~ly day!"

With that, Natsu and Lucy left the chapel and made their way back to the room to pack and then check out, ready to get out of this hotel as soon as possible.

* * *

 **-ooo-**

* * *

Lucy sat in the lobby with two duffel bags (both Natsu's) and her purse and just…starred at the innocuous envelope in her hands while Natsu conversed with an employee and settled the charges. She could hear him argue about the state of the minibar but tuned them out after a moment.

 _Should I wait for him? Do I look at what's inside?_

Curiosity was always her greatest sin, so Lucy decided to peek a bit. The first thing she pulled out was a full-colour picture of her and Natsu standing in front of a very large man with flowing ginger hair and a very _very_ angular jaw. But what made her heart practically melt was the look in Natsu's eyes.

Blinding devotion and absurd amounts of happiness.

Either for the fact that he was able to now stay in Magnolia with his family and friends or finding someone to share this part of his life with, or it could be it was actually her that was making him grin so wide, it didn't matter because when she looked at herself in that picture, she could see those same emotions.

Lucy felt the sting of tears in her eyes but did nothing to stop a couple from sliding down her face slowly and drip off her chin.

"Oi! Why're you crying, weirdo? Did something happen? Who made you cry?"

Lucy thrust the picture into his hands, sniffling slightly and tried to wipe the evidence of her emotions off her cheeks. Damn, where were some tissues when you needed them?

Natsu took one look at the photo and smiled. They did look like a perfect match, even though their gazes were kinda unfocused and hazy. "Luce, I know your hair is a bit wild here, but I think it looks okay. Don't cry…"

A strangled laugh left her lips and she snorted at the absurdity. "No. Natsu…it's not my fucking hair. I just…look so…happy."

"And that's a bad thing?" Damn this woman was so weird. Who thinks being happy is something to cry over?

"No. Not at all. I just didn't know that I could look like that. It's been so long."

The weight of her words crashed down onto his shoulders. This woman, Lucy, should always look like that, no matter what. She should always be happy and smiling and giddy. Always.

Natsu swept the now silently sobbing Lucy into his arms and hugged her tight, to which she flailed around a bit before wrapping her own tiny arms around his waist, fisting his shirt in her hands. It was like she hadn't been hugged before, and maybe, just maybe she hadn't in a very long time.

And that made his heart crack for her just a little. He didn't pity her, because pity was a stupid emotion, be he did think that he could solve that problem. Natsu vowed to give her as many hugs as she wanted from now until forever.

He frowned. Damn her father for making her feel like this. Damn the circumstances that he hadn't met her sooner in life. Lucy deserved all the happiness in the world and even if they were married to solve both their problems and love never, ever bloomed between them (he highly doubted this because he was already three-quarters of the way there already) he would be everything she needed.

Best friend.

Confidant.

Anchor.

 _Whatever._

He had found a woman that put up with his shit and didn't run screaming in the other direction and true to his word, he had married her as soon as possible.

* * *

 _Lights flashed and bodies jumped and writhed around them to the pounding beat, their bodies were feverish and slick with sweat as they grinded together. He needed to tell Lucy something super important, it felt like it was life or death and it had to be now. "Luce!"_

 _"What!?" She could barely hear him over the music that seemed to resonate into her bones. They had been dancing for what seemed like hours, pressed up against one another and everything about him was making her hot. So, so hot. No other man had ever ignited something like this inside her._

 _"You know you're my best friend right?"_

 _"How? We've only known each other for like…six hours!"_

 _"I just know okay? Trust me!" His green eyes looked black in the light of the bar and they looked so achingly honest that Lucy believed every single word he spoke._

 _She nodded and then smiled, the action blinding and drew his gaze to her mouth."I trust you."_

 _He crashed his lips onto hers and everything around them dissolved into nothing._

* * *

Natsu lifted her chin up and wiped the last of her tears away and smiled and Lucy saw those emotions in his eyes, raw and untainted. So she smiled right back at him, who cared if they had known each other for only a single day? Who cared if it was rushed?

She didn't. She had a solution to her problem and a best friend and a ridiculously ruggedly handsome husband that she knew she would learn to love with all her heart, he was confusing and amazing and Lucy knew it was only a matter of time. They had just…skipped a couple of steps, or perhaps got them mixed up and out of order, but it didn't matter, the end result was the same.

They had ended up together and Lucy knew immediately that nothing could tear them apart.

"See, that's better. You don't look so weird when you smile."

"Shut up!" Yes. He was definitely her best friend, no one else could infuriate her quite as quickly as this man could. She was so thankful to find someone who didn't candy coat things because they were worried she would tell her big powerful daddy on them. Natsu was Natsu and spoke his mind with no regard for the repercussions.

It was so refreshing.

"Make me Miss Heartfilia…" His cocky smirk was just begging to be wiped off his face.

"You know…according to these documents you can't call me that anymore." She tapped the folder in her hands then waved it teasingly under his nose.

Playful ribbing turned into something darker, something much more serious that she couldn't name quite yet. "Hmmm? And what should I call you?"

He coyly batted her eyelashes at him. "Mrs Dragneel."

Inexplicable heat coursed through his body at the mention of that name. _She had taken his name without a second thought._ That name that she knew was associated with Zeref and everything bad that she had reported on and she looked like it didn't matter to her.

"Wait. Are you okay with that? Being Mrs Dragneel? Even after my brother…"

She gave him a look that screamed that he was a complete and utter bonehead. "I told you yesterday. I don't care who your brother is. I was willing to be your friend no matter what, even if your brother has done unspeakable things. So, why would I care if I took your name as well?"

All he could do to answer was crash his lips down onto hers, because it said everything he wanted to say, but couldn't find the words for. It was hot and heady and when she parted those sinfully delicious lips of hers and sighed, Natsu took the opportunity to dive right in and sweep his tongue along her own, coaxing it out to play with his.

Lucy was completely taken off guard with this sign of obvious affection but welcomed it. The feelings welling up inside her were too amazing to ignore, and if a single chaste (sort of) kiss from Natsu made her stomach flip-flop like this, she wished she remembered what else he could do to her.

Then he nibbled on her bottom lip and she moaned lewdly and shivered. He was intoxicating.

They sheepishly disentangled themselves when an employee from the hotel had to come over and politely ask them to stop shoving their tongues down each other's throats in the lobby.

"You know…I'm really attracted to you. No wonder we had sex. We'll probably do it again."

Her comment took Natsu off guard for a moment before he sniggered and booped her in the nose with his finger. "Careful what you say, Princess, you get me all fired up so easily and I'm not ashamed to say I kinda want to find an abandoned alleyway somewhere and go at it like teenagers."

"Sounds…interesting. But I think these kind people watching us like we're a daytime soap opera would like us to go to town right here in this lobby. They would be _so_ disappointed if we just left them hanging."

Dark humour lit up his eyes before Natsu really understood what she was saying.

Natsu finally realised that yes, they were still in the entry way of the hotel-casino, and yes they were making a grand spectacle of themselves. Some had their lacrima coms out and were taking photos and videos of them. He was the famous Salamander, after all, most of these people had come to see him fight last night. "Oh, yes. Maybe another time Luce, but I think we should get out of here."

Natsu grabbed their bags in one hand and Lucy in the other and quickly guided her outside to hail a cab. He wrapped one arm around her waist and all but purred in her ear. "Where to now Mrs Dragneel?"

She just smiled and shook her head as gooseflesh erupted down her arms. Damn his sexy voice straight to hell, _that_ should be illegal. "My apartment Mr Dragneel."

* * *

 **Next: Flaws**

 **Get ready for a little confrontation between good ole Jude and his dear little princess. (yay...it's Natsu-in-a-tux time.)**

 **Stay Crazy,**

 **LoadedEel**


	4. Flaws

All Rights to Hiro Mashima

 **Buckle up my precious cupcakes. We're on our way to the Kozern. (took some liberties with the dinner scene. I do realise that eating snails is usually a French custom...but France doens't exist in this AU)**

BEWARE! A WILD LION APPEARS! JUDE IS A DUMBASS!

* * *

 **~ Flaws ~**

 _In which Natsu realises just what he had gotten himself into marrying a weirdo like Lucy, and Lucy has a slight mental breakdown._

* * *

Two days later found Natsu and Lucy still trying to navigate this strange situation the best they knew how.

And it involved a lot of communication – which they had in droves in the form of laughing, teasing, general chit chatting, and small silences that were entirely comfortable – but not once did they talk about what would happen next for them as a new married couple who had sex twice, forgot due to Tequila poisoning, then made out in a hotel lobby.

Natsu made Lucy felt safe, needed, and warm in all the best ways.

Lucy balanced Natsu's behaviour out and grounded him. He was centred and calmer than he usually was on non-fight days. She made him feel whole and wanted.

They just…worked together, even if they had suddenly found some flaws in each other that made them feel like they were human and this wasn't just a weird dream.

The pink-haired man was exuberant to the point where his hand gestures while he spoke had knocked not one but two lamps over and shattered them on her hardwood floor. He ate a completely ridiculous amount and he was always, _always_ hungry.

Natsu found out that Lucy gets extremely grumpy when she was even the littlest bit sleepy and she took hour long baths and showers twice a day. Which he didn't mind, but seriously, what was he supposed to do when he was alone?

He had made the mistake once of barging in on her in the bath and it was then that he realised that she had a very powerful roundhouse kick. Perfectly executed and amazingly done. He didn't even see her stand up she was so fast. Natsu couldn't even begin to be mad at that because he was just so impressed with her form (naked or otherwise).

So he told her so, and he was delighted by the pink blush on the tops of her ears and the small kiss she planted on his cheek.

But then she had tried to punch him in the gut for eating her share of the fried rice one night and he was appalled at the fist she made. There was no way that he was going to let his wife get away with something so utterly wrong to the point where if she _actually_ tried to punch someone, she would most likely come away from the fight with a broken thumb or worse.

So he also told her this and to his surprise, she was very happy to have him teach her the correct way to duke it out with an assailant. He taught her a couple of easy holds and how to break out of the more common ones that taller men use on a shorter person.

It made Natsu feel all fuzzy inside to know that she would have a way to protect herself when he wasn't around – cause he knew that there were crazies about and wouldn't always be stuck to her like glue. But, she had a killer kick and he told her to default to kicking a male in the nuts and she would win every time.

Even if they were flawed in all the best ways, they worked together naturally and both knew that whatever this was, even if it hadn't been totally intentional and done in a moment of shared weakness under the influence of the Devil's drink…they would never, not in a million years, regret that decision.

They hadn't been intimate since they had woken up hung over and married, but there were some kissing and tongue action that was shared. Natsu was generally a handsy person and loved to invade her personal space and hold her for no other reason than because he could. Lucy was fine with this because she craved skinship after being unable to have it for so long and her husband was just so damn warm all the time it was hard not to melt into his hugs.

And he gave her lots, all the time. It was like he knew somehow that she had been deprived of human contact for most of her life.

It made her feel so special. Special and precious.

Days were spent getting to know each other, while nights found them draped over each other watching a movie munching noisily on snacks or Natsu napped while Lucy read or wrote some of her novel. Natsu showed off his culinary skills in the morning with a mean piece of French toast or an omelette, and Lucy made his dinners extra spicy because – in her own words – he was completely and utterly insane, but she did it anyways because she liked him.

One afternoon, Natsu woke up from his post-lunch nap on Lucy's lap to look up and see her giving their marriage licence the evil eye.

"Luce…you look really weird right now. What are you trying to do? Burn a hole through the paper?"

She flicked him in the forehead and shoved the paper in his hands. "NO! I was trying to read this name." Lucy pointed at an intelligible scribble on the line marked 'witness.'

Natsu squinted at it. "Huh."

"Do you remember the witness? Was it a stranger or one of your friends?"

"One of _our_ friends Luce…remember you're in for life." She rolled her eyes like he was lying, but he would show her one day that she had so many friends just waiting for her to come home. "But no, I can't remember anything about the ceremony and the picture only has us and the minister in it."

They had dropped the topic, but each wondered who their witness really was and if they even remembered the wedding either. Given the drunken scrawl that looked like chicken scratch combined with a pretty wicked sugar high, the witness was probably just as bombed as they were. Which, now that they thought about it, could have been anyone of the friends that had come from Magnolia to see Natsu and Gajeel duke it out.

Or a complete stranger, but they doubted that.

So their days and nights went on like that for a couple of days in a state of blissed-out limbo. They weren't disturbed at all. Lucy had completed her story and sent it via email to Jason one evening and Natsu had placed his lacrima com on airplane mode, knowing that when he turned that on when he was ready to deal with all his friends…well…Erza would be the least of his problems.

Mira would be all up in his face about the videos that just _had_ to be circulating over the internet now, but right at this moment, he wanted to just relax with his best friend and let himself fall in love with her.

This was surprisingly okay with Lucy and she didn't protest when he had ended up passing out at the end of the night with her in her bed. He was warm and crazily comfortable to sleep next to. Natsu never pushed it too far but seemed to like crushing her to his chest and draping his considerable weight all over her to the point where she woke up hot and sweaty every morning. And not in a good way.

They were well aware of their attraction to each other and neither hid it, they both understood - unconsciously - that they would try to get their bearings as best friends then add lovers into the mix when they were good and ready again.

She was…happy. For lack of a better term. Lucy wanted to stay in this state of in-between for as long as possible.

It was the calm before a storm, however, she put off thinking about her real life for too long and life, as it is prone to do, decided to pop up and whack her in the face with reality before she realized it.

But Lucy knew that they needed to have a serious heart to heart about some things that would be happening quite soon, especially when her lacrima com lit up on the third morning and reminded her of the date.

It was the nineteenth.

The day of her ball.

For the men, she was supposed to be marrying because in their world she was little more than a doll to be passed around and owned. It didn't sit right with her, but it sat even less well with her new pink-haired husband and severely protective best friend. Even though he knew that this was what her life had been reduced to and why she had run away, he didn't like it.

"What do you want to do?"

"You mean about the ball?"

"Yeah. You know…if you wanted to because we got…"

"Married. Yes. That did happen Natsu."

"Uh. Yeah. I mean…you could just leave a note on your door along with the marriage certificate and we could book it out of here and go somewhere else. You could come back to Magnolia with me and meet everyone. You could meet Happy and we could go camping and fishing and just…I don't know…be happy?"

That sounded…like the best thing she had ever heard. She had always wanted to be happy and here Natsu was, offering her the world and she wanted to say yes without delay. "I've never been camping before. Is it fun?"

Natsu nodded and lightly tickled her calves where they were resting on his lap. "Course. Being one with nature is always fun. And Happy would love the fresh fish and sunlight. I promise, you'll love it. Especially the ghost stories."

She'd never heard one of those either, but if it was a story told by Natsu himself, she would listen to it no matter what.

Nothing had ever seemed so inviting before and she wanted to jump up and pack immediately and leave on the next train.

But she couldn't for one reason.

Her father.

She wanted to look him in the eye and say 'fuck you' and then leave this whole life behind, travel back to Natsu's house with him, make more friends and be absurdly content for the rest of her life. With her pink-haired MMA fighter husband and a blue cat that apparently liked fresh raw fish (she had learned on the afternoon of the first day back in her apartment after a mild freak out that his young friend Wendy was looking after the feline until he got back, it was the one and only call he made before he all but shut his lacrima com off).

"I want to Natsu, I really do. But…"

She could see him panicking and once again tried to find the words needed to reassure him that she wasn't going anywhere, she just needed a little more time to tie up some loose ends. Like her father and the arranged marriage, her rent and her job. But after that she was golden. Yes, she had worked hard for her job, but luckily for her, she could do it anywhere, and after Natsu assured her that she would be living in his house with him (We're married Luce! How weird would it be for a married couple to live in different places right after the wedding?) Lucy wouldn't need to worry about rent. She had agreed and was looking forward to going to Magnolia. Her apartment had come furnished and so all she had to pack was her clothes, toiletries, writing things and her kitchen stuff. It wasn't a lot, and now she had a big strong husband to help her with the lifting.

However, first, she needed to get some things off her chest.

"I _need_ to see my father one last time. I need to grow up and stop running away from him like a scared little girl and be a strong woman and tell him that I made my own choices and married a wonderful man. And if he doesn't like it I give you permission to knock him unconscious with your pinky or something."

"Like a ninja?"

"Sure Natsu." She ran her fingers through his hair absentmindedly. Her husband was a loveable dork, that was for sure.

Natsu sighed, happy that he wasn't going to lose this woman before they had a true chance to love each other, and pulled her onto his lap. She wiggled a bit until she found a comfortable spot where her butt bones weren't digging into his thighs. "Alright. So I guess you want to go to that ball then."

"Yep."

"And I'm going to have to wear a tux right?"

"Yep."

"I'm sorry, but I think I have to divorce you now." He groaned and pushed her over onto her couch and flopped his entire heavy body on top of her, his muscle mass weighing her down as she giggled breathily.

She gasped in mock hurt. "You wound me, sir."

Natsu smiled. He loved times like these, sarcastic comments, teasing and all. She _was_ truly the best friend anyone could have, but she was his and he felt infinitely sorry for everyone that didn't have a Lucy in their lives.

She placed a small kiss on his forehead and he all but purred happily, rubbing his face like a cat in the crook of her neck. Lucy always smelled so nice and it was strongest there. "In all seriousness Natsu. You don't have to go if you don't want to. I have to learn to stand up to my father by myself _sometime_."

"Don't worry I'm coming with you." His voice was muffled while his face was still shoved into her hair.

"You sure?"

"What kind of husband would I be if I just left you to be all weird and shit by yourself? You might end up kicking him through the roof and then we would have to run away really fast and that's hard to do in heels and a dress."

She snorted before eyeing him with a contemplative look. "How would you know? Have any experience running in heels and a skirt?"

"…no?"

"Oh, my Mavis. You do. Tell me!"

"No! Stop it! I will never tell! You'll never get the truth from me! I'll never succumb to your weirdness!"

"Shut up Mr Dragneel."

"Make me Mrs Dragneel."

And she did with another kiss that somehow morphed into a full make-out session in her living room, and for a while, all thoughts were banished from their heads and they didn't have a care in the world.

* * *

 **-ooo-**

* * *

"Good evening Miss Lucy. It's good to see you again."

Lucy smiled at the stoic chauffeur that had arrived to pick her up and take her to the ball. "And it's good to see you as well Capricorn." The tall man with a white beard and perfect posture was always one of her favourites, next to her nanny Aries, and the head maid Virgo.

Oh. And Leo, but he was in a class all on his own. More like an older annoying brother than anything. Lucy looked around but couldn't see Taurus the massive groundskeeper. She scowled lightly. Her father thought that she would come complacently like a good little girl.

...she would. But just this one time.

The tall man eyed the two people that stood before him, as far as he knew, he was only supposed to bring Lucy to the manor house. She did look the part after all. A soft lilac dress was wrapped around her frame, while simple pearl accessories adorned her wrist and ears, he knew those had belonged to Miss Layla once upon a time. Her hair and makeup was done perfectly with Cancer's signature style, but the male…even though he was dressed in a tuxedo that he filled out quite well…he had no knowledge of him. So, that could only mean an impromptu guest.

 _Interesting indeed._

Lucy caught Capricorn looking sceptically at Natsu – who looked stupidly handsome in his tux that had been tailored to his impressive body and made her heart beat just a little bit faster every time she caught a glimpse of him – and grabbed his hand leading them towards the limo that awaited them.

Although…Natsu looked a little green around the gills as he prepared to get into a car again, she had chalked it up last time to the lighting or a lasting effect of the hangover when he had all but keeled over into her lap in the taxi, but now she wasn't so sure (she would learn in five minutes that Natsu had severe motion sickness and spent the whole ride moaning and groaning with his head in her lap and to his surprise only barfed once when they finally stopped.)

She grinned wickedly and suddenly Capricorn wasn't that worried for his young mistress anymore. Her time away seemed to do her well, if anything he slightly pitied Jude. There was a storm coming his way and he had no knowledge of it. "Capricorn, I would like you to meet Natsu Dragneel…my husband."

 _Most definitely interesting._

The chauffeur looked at the rings on their fingers and the way that they seemed like two puzzle pieces fitting together and the other half of his worry for Lucy disappeared off his shoulders. There would be no arranged marriage for his favourite girl, whom he thought of as a daughter – he had raised her more than he own father but he would never say those words aloud – and he felt infinitely better.

Then he took a good look at her husband. He was tall, strong, and he looked like he wanted to give Lucy the world. Even if the man had pink hair, tattoos over his wrists and some of his neck, and at least three piercing's in each ear, Capricorn knew immediately that this Natsu was what was best for Lucy and vice versa.

Capricorn bowed and opened the door to the limo, ushering them in, then made his way back to the driver's seat.

Never in his life was he more excited to see the look on his employers face then right then.

Tonight was going to be very eventful, he could feel it.

* * *

 **-ooo-**

* * *

After Natsu had washed his mouth out with water and his stomach was settled, Lucy had looped her arm around his and had steered him towards a truly massive white mansion that sat on a hill. While he was well off seeing as he was a famous fighter that won most of his bouts, he couldn't help but gawk at the extreme extravagance.

It was overwhelming.

Lucy, on the other hand, had her nose scrunched up in that way that she did when she thought something was disgusting. Like his stinky feet after a run or his method of eating peanut butter (straight from the jar with his fingers) and he liked that she thought that chandeliers dripping with crystals were as gaudy and unnecessary as he did. It also made him feel better about showing her his house which was much smaller than this.

"Right this way Miss Lucy, I know Aries and Virgo are looking forward to seeing you again. And Leo…you know how he gets when you're not here."

They rounded a corner of the hallway Capricorn was leading them down when Lucy was all but ripped from Natsu's grasp and clutched tight to a chest that wasn't his own. Natsu was honestly bewildered when all he could hear would Lucy laughing and a loud shout of "PRINCESESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!" The watched as a handsome young man with a mane of auburn hair and small sunglasses twirled his Lucy around in the air.

White hot jealousy rippled through Natsu's body when his mind caught up with the situation and he scowled a little at himself. Lucy was her own person and could do what she wanted. She didn't shy away from this man…so she obviously knew him, trusted him, but he couldn't help that little traitorous twinge in his heart. He assumed it was because he had had her all to himself for days on end and now he had to _share_.

"LEO! It's so good to see you again!"

"Same goes for you, Princess." The man named Leo bent his head down and placed a chaste _lingering_ kiss on Lucy's hand – which, to Natsu's amusement – she repaid the gesture by swatting the back of his head lightly. "Where have you been all this time?"

"Crocus."

"Ah. That makes sense. Jude would have never looked for you there. Keep your friends close…"

"…and your enemies closer. I remember. That was the first thing he ever taught me." Her tone was friendly but Natsu could hear the bitterness that writhed underneath. He couldn't help but feel the annoyance for Lucy's father that sat close to his heart grow just a little bit bigger. Father's were supposed to teach their children how to ride a bike and catch them sneaking out to be with their friends and making sure that they actually did brush their teeth like they said they did.

Natsu decided he was finished sitting on the sidelines and was also done with Lucy having those dark thoughts about her past – he had commented once and she had told him the whole story – so he walked up beside her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, curled her close to him and pressed a kiss to her forehead. It was meant as an assurance that he was there if she needed him, but it also served the purpose of showing this…Leo character just where he sat on the totem pole when it came to his Lucy.

Natsu was at the very top, with everyone else as a close second.

Leo bristled and glared at him through tinted glasses and Natsu caught the sly smirk of a retreating Capricorn who no doubt knew exactly what Natsu had been doing moments before. "And who are you exactly?"

Lucy sighed as she smelt the testosterone in the room increase exponentially. "Where are my manners," She murmured as she was still slightly smashed to Natsu's torso, "Natsu…meet Leo, head of security here at the Kozern. Leo…meet Natsu Dragneel, also known as the Salamander and…my husband."

Leo gawked at them, slowly blinking as if trying to wake up from a bad drug trip.

"You're married?"

"…yes?"

"To an MMA fighter? To the famous Salamander? Really?"

"Ugh. Yes, Leo. You don't have to say it like that."

Then the man with the mane of brilliant orange hair grinned showing off a smile that made him look like a lion that swallowed a lamb. "I can't wait for Jude to hear this…he's going to throw the mother of all temper tantrums."

Lucy coughed awkwardly into a curled fist. "Yes. Well…please leave that for me to tell my father."

Leo scrutinised Natsu for a moment before thrusting his hand out. Natsu shook the man's hand and realised that Leo would always do what was best for Lucy no matter what, and protect her if he couldn't be there. They were alike that way and it brought the pink-haired man a measure of peace. "Take care of our Princess, alright?"

"Always."

He nodded and gestured to the right. "Dinner is almost ready, so you can join the other guests in the dining room."

"What! I thought this was a ball!"

"Lucy…you know how your father is. Wine and dine, then show off the goods. The goods in this situation are you dancing with all the available men."

"Well…shit. This is going to be one giant train wreck. Fuck."

Leo pushed them towards the double doors. "Might as well get it over with then. Don't worry though, we'll all be watching."

Lucy through him a look that screamed that Leo was making the situation worse, but waved the security expert away so that he could continue his job. She looked at her husband with slightly wild eyes and her breathing was a bit elevated but other than that, she seemed like she was handling this confrontation alright so far.

He brought her in for a hug – he would always hug her if she needed it – and brushed a strand of her bangs away behind her ear. "Luce. Everything will be fine alright. We go, we eat…if anyone asks who I am…we tell the truth and then we leave. Simple as that. If anyone gropes you I'll snap their arms off then beat them with them."

She gave him a wane little smile that tugged at his heart. Lucy would be just fine, she was just nervous obviously.

"Right. The truth. I have a husband. I am no longer Lucy Heartfilia, but Lucy Dragneel. We got married in Crocus after we got shitfaced and ended up having sex twice but forgot and will never look Tequila in the face ever again. Oh. And I've known my husband for like…four days total."

"Uh. That was okay…but maybe you want to leave that last bit off."

"Which part? The sex part or the other part about knowing you for four days?"

"How about uhh….both?"

She nodded, swallowed thickly, and then nodded once more. "Alright. Let's go."

But she didn't move and only stared at the doors.

So he took matters into his own hands as he rolled his eyes. "Come on Luce. Let's do this." He all but dragged her into the dining room to go and meet with her father and the men who wanted to marry his wife while she squawked and stumbled along behind him.

* * *

 **-ooo-**

* * *

No matter how hard Natsu tried, he couldn't for the love of Mavis figure out what he was eating. Or which fucking fork he was supposed to use.

Or maybe it was a spoon?

He wasn't entirely sure, but when he looked towards Lucy for help she looked as bewildered as he did. Natsu could hear his wife – that still made him giddy as all hell to think that word – mumbling to herself, her brows furrowed in confusion while her hands hovered over the silverware uncertainly.

He leant over to whisper in her ear. "Uh. Luce. What the fuck is this?"

Lucy's eyes slid to his, her expression panicked. "I don't have a fucking clue! I forgot how many forks there were in a formal dinner. Holy Mother of Mavis this is ridiculous. Who needs this many options? I swear to all that is holy Natsu…you better have one fork in your house that you use for everything or I will divorce the shit out of you this instant." Her voice hissed out in a whisper yell.

He snorted, then blanched as at least twelve different people looked up at him, being pulled out of their conversations that revolved mostly around money, apparently. "I promise you, Princess. One fork. One spoon. One knife."

She sighed. "If I wasn't already married to you I would fucking propose to you right this instant."

He smiled wide. Damn, he was a lucky bastard to have found this little spitfire. "I would need a complete proposal from you this time. Down on one knee and everything. And a ring. A big ass diamond, Princess cut."

"Ugh so picky." Her smile was blinding and he couldn't help but fall deeper into that never ending pit inside his heart labelled 'Love'.

Despite the weirdness of the situation, he was actually having a good time with Lucy seated on his right.

When he had dragged her through the door, he had expected maybe ten other people but was flabbergasted to see at least thirty guests, all of them male, in a wild range of ages all waiting around chatting and sipping out of tumblers. The only other things in the room was a gigantic chandelier, and a truly massive table that looked like it could seat at least thirty people comfortably.

The men had given them a once over, seeming interested in him – his pink hair was a blessing and a curse all at once – and then he realised that they probably knew him as the Salamander, the MMA fighter.

Most of the men in the room gravitated towards a single male with a commanding presence at one end of the room. He had dirty blonde hair and a very impressive moustache. Natsu surmised that he was most likely Jude Heartfilia, Lucy's father.

But the odd thing was, while the gentlemen clustered around Jude came to chat with _him_ about sports and insignificant things, not one said a single word to Lucy, even though it was obvious to everyone that she was the object of this whole evening. She was the only woman in the room after all.

It infuriated him that his Lucy, who was bright and bubbly and amazing, was being looked over by all these men like she was a second rate person in their eyes.

But the thing that irked him more, was that it looked like Lucy almost believed that, her sparkling eyes dimmed as she seemed to remember more and more about her childhood the longer she stood beside him. So he struck up a conversation with her and after a few moments had her laughing that happy laugh that had captured his attention mere days before.

Most of the men had looked scandalised that a _woman_ had the audacity to interrupt their important conversations about tax rates of wheat or whatever, but chose not to do anything about it. Natsu was thankful for that because he didn't have a lot of range of motion in this tux jacket and he didn't really rip the sleeves off of something that made Lucy look at him with so much _heat_ in her eyes, and he would love more than anything to beat them all senseless.

A maid with a blank cerulean stare and bright fuchsia hair rang the bell – a little pretentious for his tastes – that announced that dinner was ready to be served.

They all sat around that stupidly big table with Lucy at one end and her father at the other. A red headed flirty man named Dan tried to take the seat right next to Lucy, but with a glare and small growl that seat mysteriously opened up.

First had been a delightful soup, then a flaky fish, and then here they were with the most bizarre looking main course he had ever seen. But he couldn't care less with Lucy looking at him like he was the only one in the world and a smile on those lips he couldn't wait to kiss again.

She was beautiful.

His pride swelled when he remembered she was all his. His little wife who hated all things pretentious wanted to be an author and didn't mind making him spicy chicken wings at all hours of the night – albeit she did grumble about that last one.

He had hit the proverbial wife jackpot. She was strong and fiery and amazing.

A voice broke them out of their little world, it was soft but deep and Lucy immediately recognised it as the head butler, Scorpio. "Hey, squirt. You look a little lost. Need help?" His lips barely moved and she smiled sheepishly down at her plate of… _something_ while he craftily filled hers and Natsu's wine glasses up again to keep up the pretence of being nothing more than a servant.

"Hey, Scorpio. Yeah. I need help apparently. What the fuck is this?"

The man chuckled lowly and leant over to whisper in her ear. Lucy blanched and pulled away, then nodded before the man moved off and refilled more glasses.

"Luce. What is it?"

She eyed her cutlery before finding a small fork that had two tines and looked very flimsy. "I didn't recognise the dish originally because of all the shit on top of it but…" she brushed off the arugula and other steamed vegetables to reveal six small shells.

"It's escargot Natsu."

"…what?"

She picked up one of the small shells and showed him. "It's Boscan…garden snails. Usually done in garlic and butter."

Natsu eyed his plate once more. "Mavis. What in the actual fuck? Are you serious?"

"Deadly. Which sucks because they are supposed to be very good, but I'm allergic."

Natsu sat still as confusion swirled through his mind. "I thought this was a dinner for you though? Shouldn't we be eating things that you can…you know…eat, without you dying?"

She laughed, the sound bitter and like it stuck in her throat. "You think my dear father knows that about me? Only Aries knew because she found me when I was little with a rash on my hands after playing with a garden snail and Virgo because she applied the salve to keep the rash away."

He nodded, but then looked at her in bewildered silence and deemed her to have lost her mind suddenly.

"Uh. Luce. What are you doing?" She had taken the fork up again before proceeding to pull out the meat from inside the snail shell.

"I'm eating my dinner."

"Why?"

"…because…well…uhm…" When she couldn't give him an answer, Natsu reached over and smacked the snail out of her hands.

She gave him a grateful look before it turned into one filled with horror. "What the hell was I doing? I could have died…just to _please_ my father. Gods I'm so pathetic." She covered her bashfully red face up with her hands and just stared at her plate.

It was then that Natsu realised Lucy's most fatal flaw, she loved indiscriminately and gave people the benefit of the doubt, second chances that they might not deserve. But he liked her besides that and couldn't help but feel lucky that this woman had fallen into his life. She wasn't pathetic, Lucy was just a girl who was looking for love from her father, a person that _should_ love her no matter what but seemed not to know his own child.

If he could, he would have hugged her to his chest and never let go. Unfortunately, when he had hit her hand, she had also dropped the metal fork onto the china plate which made a huge racket and drew every single eye towards them.

"Is there a problem with the meal?"

This question made Natsu wish he could breathe fire he was so angry. This was literally the first thing Lucy's father had spoken towards her since the evening began almost an hour and a half before. He's heard of distance between parents and their children, but this…was just…stupid.

Lucy lowered her head in embarrassment. She didn't want a confrontation with Jude in front of all these men, but then she felt a warm hand sneak under the table and squeeze her knee in a tight grip.

Natsu. He had known her the least amount of time out of all these people and yet he was the one who knew her the most.

Reassured Lucy picked her head up and stared at her father in the eyes for the first time that night with a fire in her gaze. "Yes."

Jude seemed…surprised if anything, that she would have the stones to speak out against something in his own house. He scowled, and Lucy knew that look. It was one that he gave her when he thought she was being childish.

She would show him.

"I'm allergic to snails. If Natsu hadn't caught the mistake, I would have died."

Jude looked mildly irritated at her, then turned his stony gaze towards the pink-haired man to her left who neither flinched nor looked away. "Oh. I assumed you would have grown out of a silly ailment like that years ago." Then turned back to a balding plump man and continued his conversation as if she was nothing more than a statue that he had found mildly interesting, but ultimately deemed unworthy.

To Natsu's complete and utter bewilderment instead of a meek response or possibly something akin to shame from Lucy, he got a wild hellion, eyes blazing and cheeks aflame, who downed her entire glass of wine in a single gulp that would make Cana insanely proud to hear about before slamming the empty crystal goblet on the dark wooden table. The force she used was enough to crack the rim, but the sound reverberated around the room and all conversation died instantly.

Natsu spied both Capricorn and Leo out of the corners of his eye, as well as the maid, Virgo, and another shy looking woman with soft pink hair. They were smirking and Leo had a lacrima com out and seemed to be recording the proceedings. Instantly, Natsu knew that this was something out of the ordinary, but no less interesting and prepared for shit to hit the fan.

"No, I did not grow out of being allergic to escargot _father_. I can't believe that you actually knew that and still insisted that this shit is served tonight. Would you risk killing your precious commodity before she had a chance to make you even richer? _Despicable form father and you call yourself a business man_. Don't you know you can't sell something that's broken?" She hissed the words out between clenched teeth, all the contempt and anger she had held inside towards her father finally, _finally_ being revealed after all these years.

Lucy waved Scorpio over for a refill of the wine that she had downed and shot a wink towards Natsu to reassure him if nothing else.

But what she found wasn't concern or bewildered uncertainty. Instead, she saw blazing, naked _hunger_ in his eyes. She definitely liked that, liked that he could look at her like she was a delicious meal to be devoured and savoured and enjoyed. That, more than anything else, made her feel powerful and strong.

All that was going through Natsu's mind was:

 _Holy fucking shit._

And not much else. He had never seen this side of Lucy, and he fucking loved her passion and strength and the way she was all fired up. He wasn't even ashamed to say that her rage, with her pink cheeks and shining eyes, was making him so fucking hard it was he was having to shift uncomfortably in his chair to conceal his boner.

She was just so…sexy.

So Natsu sat back and watched as his wife went to work, loving every single minute of it.

* * *

 **-ooo-**

* * *

"You are being ridiculous."

"Shut up _papa._ I got out of this life years ago and I never wanted to come back. You don't get to tell me how to act anymore."

Natsu watched his wife and her father go at it, snappy jabs and condescending words flying back and forth with thinly veiled rage simmering underneath their skin. He and all the other men at the table were snapping their heads back and forth as if this battle of words was a tennis game, however, it was infinitely more exciting.

Lucy reached for her empty wine glass again and pouted.

With a twinkle in his eyes, Natsu pushed his own full glass towards her. He was more of a beer sort of man, but if Lucy needed a little of this liquid courage to finally speak her mind to her father, who was he to stop her?

A loud crash was heard from the other side of the table and those who didn't grow up with violence – basically everyone here except for Natsu, Laxus and Erza were terrors to grow up with – jumped in their seats. Jude had smacked his hand down on the table in a fit of anger.

It seemed he was done dicking around.

Leo's words came back to Natsu then and he wondered if this was the "mother-of-all-temper-tantrums."

"ENOUGH!" He roared and everyone shrunk down in their seats. Natsu could see just why Jude was so influential and powerful, his presence was commanding and he was honestly – not that he would ever speak these words out loud – terrified of the man.

But then, the little spitfire that he married under the influence of alcohol cackled like the friggin Wicked Witch of the West. "I am not some thirteen-year-old child that you can threaten with corporeal punishment any more father." Her fingers brushed over her cheekbone as if remembering some long forgotten pain.

Something snapped within the pink-haired man. This man, this…Jude had _hit_ his only daughter. Natsu had been fortunate to grow up under the wing of Makarov, and his life had been filled with love and laughter, brawls and fun. Gramps had given him rules to follow and smacked him upside the head when he was out of line, but it was never cold, never…used as a way to control someone.

He snarled out at Jude, his eyes flashing and sparking. "…Bastard. You would hit your only daughter? When she was only a child."

Jude turned his nose up at Natsu, huffing and then nodded. "Of course. She was a disobedient child and needed to be… _controlled_."

Natsu sat stunned in his chair.

And all he could think was that he pitied this man for never knowing the joys that family could bring. He found his voice after a moment, a scathing remark on the tip of his tongue, but a look from Lucy silenced him.

She shook her head slightly as if it wasn't even worth it to get so fired up over Jude, or the pain that she had felt growing up because she was leaving it all behind and Natsu would follow this amazing woman to the gates of hell and beyond. To the ends of Earthland, past the stars, if she wanted.

"Who are you anyways? I don't remember you on the list of suitors I invited tonight." The men collectively whipped their heads around to stare Natsu down, questions in their eyes. Many of them recognised him, but that didn't mean they knew why he was here specifically.

Was he a rival to them for the hand of Jude's daughter and the millions in the deal that Heartfilia Kozern had offered should one…take her off his hands? Or perhaps another more interesting reason?

Natsu's smirk was legendary, one that he often gave when he knew the outcome of his fight.

When he knew he was going to win without a doubt. He showed it now, his long canines glinting in the soft white light of the chandelier.

It made many of the men jealous to see as if Pinkette had the infinite secret to life itself and wasn't about to share it with the likes of them.

Natsu licked his lips. "My name, _sir_ , is Natsu Dragneel." His tone was light but you could almost see the contempt drip from his lips like poison.

Jude was truly confused. "The MMA fighter who just won in Crocus? The Salamander?"

"The one and only."

Jude looked at him in a new light then, impressed with the man before him.

Lucy rolled her eyes at her best friend. If they inflated his ego anymore she would definitely have to butter the doors to get him out of this mansion. But, Natsu could afford to be proud of himself, he was an amazing fighter and deserved the praise.

"Why are you here Mr Dragneel?"

"Oh. Luce invited me."

"Luce?"

Natsu looked at the elder Heartfilia in the room then gestured at Lucy slowly as if to a small child just learning how the world worked. "Yes…Lucy…your daughter…invited me." He spoke clearly, not wanting the meaning to be lost. He turned suddenly towards Lucy and grabbed her hand underneath the table and staged whispered behind his other, his cocky smirk still plastered to his handsome face. "Damn Luce. I think he's going senile. Getting a bit slow…"

Lucy giggled and slapped his shoulder playfully her eyes alight with poorly concealed glee, her cheeks a little red from the drinks she had been slamming back, she was adorable and Natsu couldn't help it but forgot where he was for a moment and leant forward placing a small kiss on her cute little nose.

She blinked up at him before bashfully lowering her eyes from his. He liked that he could make her look like that, it made his male pride soar.

Everyone else looked at him like he was crazy, but that wasn't new. He had pink hair and liked to fight for fun and wondered sometimes what it would feel like to eat fire. Natsu was sure that he was probably certifiable, but Lucy didn't care and neither did his friends or family, so that was all that mattered.

Jude spluttered. "Who do you think you are speaking about me like that?"

Natsu was suddenly fed up with this prick and how he thought so high of himself and so low of his daughter. In his books, Lucy was so much more remarkable than Jude could ever hope to be.

He growled from his chest in irritation and almost laughed as some of the pansy ass men that had the fucking _audacity_ to even try to buy his Lucy and take her from him shied away. They couldn't have her because they would want to take her somewhere and cage her, far away from him, away from the exciting life that she was meant to live full of adventures and joy, laughter and friends, love and commitment.

"My name is Natsu fucking Dragneel and that –" He pointed to the blonde to his right who gave a cheeky wave to her father whose face looked so red he was _almost_ worried the man was going to have a heart attack. "-is Lucy Dragneel. My kickass wife and best friend."

Immediate, suffocating silence stole over the table and all eyes were on Lucy and Natsu.

"What?" Jude hissed through clenched teeth.

Lucy wiggled her left hand in front of her face so that her father could see the gold wedding band that sat neatly on her ring finger. She hadn't tried to hide it, she wasn't keep it a secret as if she was ashamed of the fact that she was married to the pink-haired man beside her.

She sniffed derisively. It was Jude's fault – and all the other suitors – for not noticing in the first place.

"I demand that you explain this at once!"

Lucy sighed, suddenly very bored and very tired of the proceedings. "Natsu's my husband," She shrugged, "Simple as that."

More silence, until;

"UNACCEPTABLE! You were promised to one of these men here, not this…this- ruffian who is completely below your station-"

Lucy stood up so quickly that the heavy carved chair she had been previously sitting in had fallen back to the ground with a loud clatter. "Shut up! Natsu is worth more to me than every single one of you at this table. He makes me feel safe and warm and like I have a home and that someone actually fucking cares about me as a person. No cages, no money, no contracts. Just…me."

Some of the suitors looked down guiltily, while others starred blatantly at the blonde woman like she was an interesting bug that they would want to collect one day and pin to a board. Natsu eyed them all but decided that they weren't worth his time.

But Lucy was. His crazy, passionate, goddamn fucking amazing perfect wife was the only one who mattered. And at the moment, she looked like she was about to burst into tears.

Which made him want to breathe fire again.

Natsu stood up and ignored Jude who was also standing and yelling and waving his hands around. He looked like some type of exotic bird in the middle of a mating ritual or something.

He pulled his Lucy towards him and crushed her to him in a huge so fierce he heard the air in her lungs whoosh out, but then she giggled a little and swayed on her feet – curtesy of the alcohol – and Natsu deemed it high time to leave this depressing place and get her back to Magnolia where she belonged, laughing and happy by his side. Cheering him on from the sidelines, or writing the rest of her novel while he tried to annoy her.

"Let's get out of here. I think we've overstayed our welcome as it is…" He gestured to a furious Jude and many irate and grumbling suitors who were flashing them annoyed glances. To which he smirked. He knew that they all wanted this woman, but she was Natsu's.

Till death do they part.

"Lucy Ashley Heartfilia! I forbid you from going anywhere with this man. I will have your disgraceful marriage annulled as soon as possible and you _will_ be married again to one of these men here. Although," Jude eyed his daughter in disgust, "They will lower their prices because you are no longer…pure."

That was the last straw for Natsu and he whipped off his suit jacket and proceeded to bunch up his dress shirt sleeves to his elbows as fast as possible. He had never wanted to hit someone more than he did at this very second. Gray had goaded him plenty, Laxus pissed him off to no end, Gajeel was a pain in his ass, but none of them compared to the mother of all fuckers that stood before them in this room and spoke about his only daughter as if she was worthless. As if her body was an item to be owned and bought and traded and _used_.

It made him sick.

A small hand on his elbow caught him before he could rush off and put Jude into a fucking coma for the next five years – or perhaps longer. He wasn't picky.

The look in Lucy's eye gave him pause, it was cold, wintery dark ice that froze everything it touched. Which included him and her own father.

"I renounced my name as a Heartfilia as soon as I married Natsu. I am Lucy Dragneel and I will always be." She looked towards her husband whose expression was one of soft awe and understanding. But also joy, because she had just said that she wanted to be with him for longer than it would take to get him a green card, or for her father to get off her back.

They were in this for the long haul, and they both knew that however strange and wonderful this situation was.

She strode around the table and picked up Natsu's discarded jacket before slipping one of her hands into his own, her hips swaying with newfound confidence and Natsu was having a hard time looking away from them. _So enticing._

"Goodbye, Jude. I don't think we'll meet again."

"This isn't over young lady! I-"

Lucy cut him off with a single look, one of her hands in Natsu's, half way to those big double doors that she had such a problem with.

"I am no longer your pawn you can just…push around the board. I'm a fucking queen."

And with that, they were gone while chaos erupted around Jude, the suitors demanding answers while some laughed at the fact he was played so well by a woman, his own child.

 _Checkmate._

* * *

 **Next: Body Language**

 **Tomorrow is DEFINITELY rated M. (don those hats and raincoats kiddies. It's about to get a little wet up in here...)**

 **Stay Crazy,**

 **LoadedEel**


	5. Body Language

All Rights to Hiro Mashima

 **First of all…apologies to those who saw the update and read the chapter yesterday. It was only up for about five hours, but I had a very scathing…very unsavoury guest review that made me question it all. So I pulled the chapter and decided to deliberate on whether or not I wanted to change some of it, or scrap it and start over, but the thing is…I like most of it.**

 **Especially the flufffffffff. Cause it's so soft.**

 **But no matter. I have changed some things in this chapter and re-uploaded, even if some think I'm bowing to someone being petty and rude (cause it wasn't criticism of my writing, it was a direct attack on what kind of person I was, which doesn't sit well with me and shouldn't sit well with anyone) but I write for me, for my own enjoyment, but I also write for you, the readers. That may seem pathetic, but I will back it all the way to the gates of hell.**

 **And when the fans aren't happy, I wanna say screw it! But it's hard and I just…can't…perhaps it's cowardly, but I wanna have pride in everything I do for all my writing and I want everyone to enjoy it no matter what. I might be a people pleaser, but I don't have a thick skin yet.**

 **So, as an update, I have scrapped the middle portion of this chapter and brought back a stand in OC of mine named Drew that has no depth of character and is essentially just a name with no face.**

 **Which means I had to change a couple of sentences in the first and second chapters to show that Lucy did have a relationship with Drew, which was consensual, and loving and healthy but didn't want to be with each other for other reasons.**

 **I tried something out of my comfort zone and knew that there was possibly some heat coming my way, but didn't realise that it would be against me and my ideals as a person, and not my writing or grammar or use of words. Honestly, my self-esteem took a smidge of a hit.**

 **So please, be aware when you're reviewing that there are living, breathing people behind those stories that are learning and changing and growing along with you and that story that you want to read. I love constructive criticism, tell me if you don't like a part, but give a reason why.**

 **Because you are my precious cupcakes, and I love each and every one of you to bits and pieces, for those who read, review, follow or favourite. Thank you. You give me the courage to keep on putting my ideas down.**

 **As promised, this chapter has a rated M part (XXX) look for the marks please, and read responsibly. (Just a key lime pie this time around, no sex as I felt it flowed better and showed the progression of their relationship in steps)**

 **For those who were wondering, I will finish up Band-Aid then get back on track with 'Stolen' as quickly as possible. Never fear. Dragon boy is coming. :D**

BEWARE! THE SCARY FISH LADY! THE LIMONADE! THE REAL TALK!

* * *

 **~ Body Language ~**

 _In which Natsu has a quick realisation courtesy of a goat and Lucy figures out that she may own too many unmentionables for her poor husband's fragile heart._

* * *

The doors boomed behind them as Natsu and Lucy made a quick dash through the many empty, long ass hallways to get back to the main foyer.

And then skidded to a stop as they came into contact with not one but _five_ of the employees that had watched the little interaction between Jude and Lucy minutes earlier.

Natsu, to his chagrin, was left without his wife's hand in his, as Leo (for the second time, dammit) ripped her from his side and twirled her around in the air and cackled merrily.

"Who knew you had the stones for that Princess? That was truly an amazing spectacle."

Lucy grinned sheepishly as she was set down on her feet once again. "I don't…really know what came over me." She looked up at Natsu, seeing pride and something a little deeper and definitely darker crept into his gaze.

Tearing her eyes from him she addressed Leo. "You recorded all of that didn't you?"

Leo nodded his affirmative before flashing a cat-like grin. "You betcha babe. Already got it emailed to you, don't cha worry." The man looked at her proudly and mumbled under his breath things that sounded like 'fucking badass queen' and 'can't wait to watch it again.'

She looked up to her loyal friends and sighed. "I didn't really think this far ahead. I just…wanted to be gone from this place once and for all. But…"

"My Lady, we understand. You are too good for this life, it was never meant to be yours. We can see how you look at Natsu and how he looks at you and we are overjoyed that you are finally happy. After all these years." Capricorn's words made Lucy tear up a bit, it was everything she had ever wanted her father to say to her, but hadn't. "Ms Layla would be so proud."

She smiled wearily up at everyone before an imposing voice made herself known. "Who knew you finally grew a backbone little urchin. Tch. To think…such a brat like you got hitched and didn't even tell us."

Lucy paled and Natsu stiffened. Something about that voice seemed to lock up all his joints. It reminded him too much of Erza and he didn't like it.

"Aquarius…"

A tall blue-haired beauty of a woman stepped out from a swinging door and sauntered up to them with a walk that was so self-assured, Lucy found herself absolutely jealous. Aquarius had been her mother's closest friend and confidant and Lucy had always wanted to be just like her when she was younger. The head chef was a wonder in the kitchen and gave Lucy many lessons when she was but a child.

Full of fingers smacked by spatulas and wooden spoons of course.

"Well? When did this happen?" The imposing woman gestured between a statue-still Natsu and a fidgeting Lucy.

"Uhm…well…I-I…" Lucy didn't know what to say, and turned towards her panicking husband with a pleading look that just screamed: "fucking help me!"

Natsu winced, then cleared his throat, but that didn't do much good because his voice seemed to come out a full octave higher as his irrational fear clogged his airways. "Five days ago."

Leo and Capricorn gaped while Virgo's eyes widened imperceptibly. Scorpio grinned wickedly while Aquarius' face grew thunderous. "Five days ago! I promised your mother that I would be there for you when you day came and you had the fucking cheek to not include me! We spoke a month ago and you didn't say anything about a wedding nor this…Natsu character."

Aquarius' clear dismissal of him made him feel small and was the opposite of how Jude made him feel. He wanted to shrivel into a little ball under her gaze. With Lucy's father, he wanted nothing more than to deck the man, but with Aquarius, he just wanted the floor to swallow him up.

And that made him think about just how rushed everything was. About how he had stolen what was supposed to be a magical day away from this absolutely adorable woman that deserved the entire world and not…this…whatever it was. She deserved nothing less than the absolute best and not a drunken fix with a destructive man. Who knew what she thought of him? Did she think that this entire thing was nothing more than a quick-fix to him? A band-aid for his problems? Gods, did she think that he was only using her?

Lucy looked back into Natsu's face to see him starring off into the distance, his gaze boring a hole into a bare wall to his left, eyes far away with guilt and shame plastered on his usually joyful face.

Whatever he was thinking, she needed him to stop because she didn't like it.

So, like all the other times he helped her, she comforted him and wrapped her arms around his torso and tried to squeeze as hard as possible. (Which was ridiculous because he body was like a fleshy rock and he didn't yield in the slightest.)

Natsu jolted at the feeling of Lucy against his body, but then gladly accepted any type of affection she deemed appropriate to give him. He ducked his head into the crook of her neck quickly and placed a small kiss on her soft, wonderful skin.

It was chaste, but it made her shiver.

"Oi! Brat! Answer me!"

Aquarius went ignored for the time being and her beau – Scorpio – decided to hush her for the moment, to which she easily complied cooing at the Butler.

"She's right you know. I…took that day away from you. You should have had more of a choice. And that night…I took more things that I can't remember. I'm sorry Luce. I promise I didn't mean to…or I guess I did, but…but I didn't want to hurt you and you are so special to me. I want to believe that this just wasn't a drunken mistake, but you deserve so much more than what we had. We can divorce, and we can stay best friends, but you'll have to come visit me in Seven cause I'll be a firefighting hermit with twenty cat-"

His whispered ramblings were cut off mid-sentence by a lithe hand clamping over his mouth. "Mavis. I forgot you had verbal diarrhea when you're anxious. Shut up alright?"

He nodded suddenly fearful about what was going to happen next. He didn't want to lose her, the only woman he had ever found that made him feel like he was enough, just being himself. Strange pink hair, tattoos, piercings, fire-fetish, perchance for fighting, blue cat and all. He both wanted to hear what she said next, and didn't.

"Never speak about divorce again. You hear me?" Her voice was steely and her gaze held his own with laser like precision. "It may have been rushed and weird and crazy, but I have never, not once, regretted our drunken decision. I never knew I needed someone like you in my life, but I did. Now that I have you…do you really think I'd let you just walk the fuck away from me?"

He shook his head, less terrified now but still apprehensive.

"You make me smile. And laugh, and you make my heart happy."

He smiled down at his little wife as she tucked her head into his chest, her words now muffled. "So…thank you Mr Dragneel."

"You're welcome Mrs Dragneel." He whispered in her ear and placed a small kiss on her forehead.

A sniffle was heard behind them and Lucy peeked over his shoulder to see a very teary Aries dabbing at her eyes with a handkerchief that was emblazoned with a lion's head. "I'm sorry! But you two are just so cute. I couldn't help it."

"Beautiful." Leo choked out and blew his nose on another pocket square as Capricorn and Aquarius rolled their eyes at the over emotional duo.

"Alright brat. Answer my question. When did you two meet? And what did you mean by drunken decision?"

Lucy never took her eyes off her husband's. "We met five days and twelve and half hours ago, got shit-faced on Tequila shots, and then ran off into the proverbial sunset and got married at the chapel on the second floor of the casino roughly five hours later."

"What!?" Aquarius roared and Lucy finally looked at her mother's best friend.

"It's true. And they've been the best days of my life since momma passed."

That seemed to shut the seething woman up, so instead she turned her livid gaze towards Natsu (which he flinched under) and he slowly stepped behind his wife as if she was a living shield.

If Lucy noticed, she didn't comment.

"Well. I believe that we're finished here. I for one, want to go home and pack." Lucy chirped excitedly. Her emotions sometimes gave Natsu whiplash and made it hard for him to keep up, but she kept him on his toes and it was never, ever dull.

He hated dull.

Virgo nodded and stoically walked to the door, opening it and bowing to the pair while they donned their coats and shoes. "Miss Lucy. You're moving?"

"Natsu asked me to move in with him, and I agreed. Luckily for me, my profession can be done from anywhere that has access to the internet and a laptop."

"Where?"

Lucy gave an excited smile to her friends. "Magnolia. Tomorrow if at all possible. Honestly, I feel like I should have been there years ago."

Capricorn clapped Natsu on the back while Leo and Aries cried about the loss of their Princess to the clutches of a rowdy Dragon – which confused him at first before he remembered the tattoo of Atlas Flame the Fire Dragon that wrapped around his arm. They must have seen it when he had removed his jacket in the dining hall. It's what gave him the nickname 'Salamander' in the first place. "Take care of her son. She is the most precious person to us all."

"I promise."

The chauffeur lowered his voice suddenly. "You love her, correct?"

Natsu stilled and sweated. "I-uhm…maybe?"

Capricorn tsked while they watched Lucy make her rounds to her friends, dishing out hugs and well wishes. "Lucy deserves the love she never received from her father. So I will ask you again. Do you love her?"

Without a single moment of hesitation, Natsu breathed out a "yes."

"When did it happen?"

He grinned wolfishly at the thought, thinking back to their shared smile as he lifted his hands in triumph over beating Black Steel and winning, of sharing that moment with her and only her.

"Five days and twelve and a half hours ago."

The tall man looked down at him in scrutiny before nodding decisively. "Good. She's one in a million. Don't you let her go."

Natsu watched as Leo bawled dramatically into her shoulder while Aries stammered out 'I'm sorry' over and over again and he smiled at her awkward pats to the security leader's back. "Never."

* * *

 **-ooo-**

* * *

One mildly nauseous cab ride later – Lucy had insisted that a taxi be called so that Jude didn't have any ammunition at all to possibly fire Capricorn for assisting them – her and Natsu sat on her couch, changed into comfortable clothing, showered, teeth brushed and game faces on.

Because Natsu had decided to turn on his lacrima com and deal with all the communications from his friends in Magnolia. From his trainer Laxus, and Erza he expected tightly controlled anger and threats to his body while Mira would try to wheedle information about the relationship. He was looking forward to Wendy's though. He missed his little buddy and wondered how Happy was doing. Gray would tease, Gajeel would scoff, Levy would definitely squeal. Gramps would cry, he had no doubt.

Those videos that were taken in the lobby of the hotel would be all over the place now and he was ready for a proverbial shit-storm to come his way.

He was not looking forward to this. At all.

Lucy sat beside him, much more sober than even an hour ago and gave him a sleepy-adorable-kitten look. She murmured something about being cold then crawled into his lap and curled around him until her nose was flush to his neck.

Her breath tickled a little, but if she was comfortable, then so was he.

"Ready Luce?" He powered up his lacrima com and waited for the opening sequence to finish.

"I still don't get why you're so anxious about this. They're your friends…shouldn't they be happy?"

Natsu frowned at the communications device in his hand. No new calls, or texts – save for a cryptic one from Cana that only said "you owe me big time" – and junk emails.

Odd.

Lucy prodded his chest with a finger in a ticklish spot and he squirmed and then realised that she had asked a question and he had never answered.

"They'll be happy. But first comes all the teasing, and questions, and _Mira_."

"Did they do this with all your other girlfriends?" She snorted at the idea of Natsu cowering before his friends and trying to ward them off like beating back a swarm of flies.

He made a face at her that told her all she needed to know. "I've…never, uhm…I've…"

"You've never been in a long term relationship have you Mr Dragneel?"

He shook his head, eyes downcast with a little bit of shame, he wasn't a player by any means, and didn't have many one night stands (not like Ice Tits did) but he had been with women, he _was_ pretty well known and when he was a little younger, he had let that fame go to his head in a pretty big way before he realised that some of the girls had wanted the bragging rights, or the experience, or something from him...but none felt that their relationship with him was worth more than a time or two. Except Lis, but that was different. "…no. Not really. I thought there was a girl once, Lisanna, but we both realised that there was more of a brother sister vibe going on…so we just kept it like that. She had Bickslow now, and I couldn't be happier, for her I mean. And you?"

He knew they were delving into unexplored territory when she took her time answering. They understood each other on a deeper level, but they hadn't talked about… _others_. Both hadn't seen a need to at the time, but now…it seemed like something organic and natural to air out.

They weren't keeping any secrets, no skeletons in the closets. Just truth and laughter and the occasional real talk – like right now – but it worked for them so far, even if it had only been five days and fifteen hours ago that they had met.

Best friends spoke candidly with no sugar coating, so Lucy decided to go with the honest, blatant truth because she knew that Natsu would like that the most.

Sometimes the truth hurt, but it was much better than the burning sting of a lie.

She sighed and stroked his exposed collarbone with one finger. "I didn't have a lot of time after I left the Kozern to date around, I had only really wanted to…explore and write and make my own decisions for once, take all the consequences because I was still learning and growing. It was amazing, writing for that magazine and sometimes for the paper. I met so many different people, in all walks of life, and made connections and just…talked to people for the sake of it and had conversations that didn't revolve around money or the latest gossip of who was getting married to whom, or who was having affairs with which guys or some other nonsense."

Natsu nodded, it made sense after all. What does a bird do after leaving a cage?

It flies.

"Jenny…one of Jason's models who was on a set with me once told me that I should 'sample a guy before settling down with him' which…I just couldn't do." She rolled her eyes at the thought of the blonde model, but Lucy had no lasting uneasiness. Jenny had just become engaged last year to a young man who also modelled for a different company, Hibiki Lates. He was a flirt, yes, but a good man that treated Ms Realight like an absolute queen.

"But I did have one relatively long relationship of consequence, his name was Drew and we had met two years ago while I was interviewing people after a bank robbery. He was one of the tellers, and he was sweet and such a gentleman. Took me to dinner and pulled out my chair for me."

Natsu listened even though a twinge of jealousy flew through his heart and made his stomach clench with heat.

"Dark brown hair, blue eyes. Handsome, but not cocky. It was easy to fall into a routine with him. Dates to the movies, to dinner, dancing and romantic walks. He didn't push, and he didn't ask too many questions about my life and I didn't give him anything other than my first and middle name, he never knew my last name because I was terrified that he would either run away from me, or run to my father and receive a reward for finding me."

Lucy sighed and bunched up her legs and he curled around her, drawing up a blanket patterned with the moon and stars over their exposed bodies. She huffed and he pulled it over her head and tucked it under her chin, making her look like a child hiding under their covers at the first sign of lightning in a storm.

But she was done being afraid.

"He was my first and it was everything I had ever read it to be, he was careful, treated me with respect and caution, never pushing past what he thought I could handle, like I was delicate china that would break."

Natsu smiled then, and then snorted at the absurdity. His Luce was a strong one, made of iron and steel, her gaze filled with fire and heat, but could freeze you in place when it turned against you, she could make you feel as if there was ice in your veins with a single look. "Bull shit. You're not made of glass."

She poked him in the nose then, eyes mischievous. "I know that, but at that time…I thought that was what I would always want, what I needed. And honestly, I'm glad I got experience that with someone who would treat me right. Growing up I saw so many unions with no love, no heat, no attraction between them, only obligation and money. And it absolutely slayed me."

"But…" He knew there was something else, so he prompted her to go on.

She shrugged. "He was safe, and gentle, good for a girl branching out into the world and I'm lucky I can still call him a friend, but we left on good terms with no bad words between us. There was just no…spark. It was too easy."

Lucy eyed her husband up, curling her arms around his shoulders.

"There was no…heat." She kissed his jaw as Natsu's hands were suddenly gripping her wide hips to either keep her there or keep himself grounded.

"No spark…" Lucy let her tongue linger over the silver patch of skin on his neck, the scar she had never asked about. She could hear his breath as it shuddered against her exposed shoulder, her tank top left her open to his whims.

"No need." This she whispered in his ear, sucking a single golden piercing into her mouth.

"Natsu…there was no lust. No fucking drive to see the other come apart at the seams…not like this."

Not like this.

 **XXX**

He lost it then, there was no way he was letting himself sit still as she tortured his body with her own without doing something about it. Whether conscious or not, she had been slowly grinding herself against his arousal in his athletic shorts and it was driving him to the brink with desire.

She practically growled when his mouth finally found hers in a fierce kiss that bruised her lips, but that was alright because Natsu knew she could take anything that he could dish out and more. That one sound, animalistic and raw, was the sexiest, most arousing thing he had ever heard. She didn't care what she sounded like because either she was too far gone already – which he took pride in, no judging, it was so gratifying having a lover that gave their all in the coupling – or she trusted him enough to not be afraid of what she looked like or sounded like during the act.

He thought that it was probably somewhere in the middle.

They had kissed and petted and done any number of things since the night of their impromptu wedding, but there was something different tonight, possibly in the air, or maybe it was Lucy or even him or _something_ but damn he didn't care.

She looked at him, her eyes a little glazed, hair wild and golden, lips just begging to be devoured. And he snapped, self-control shredded and need mounting and _holycrap_ her hand was cupping his length through his shorts and his brain fuzzed out completely.

Suddenly, as if waking from a dream, he noticed her lithe little hands all over his torso (When had he taken his shirt off?) while she sucked and licked and bit – his hands had gravitated to her ass then to squeeze and grope those perfect globes – his neck and collar bone and holy mother of Mavis –

Her rocking against his lap grew more insistent as the pleasure and heat and lust built up into an inferno that consumed everything. His lips and fingers tingled while sparks of lightning shot down towards his toes. "… _please_ ….Natsu please touch me…do anything. Please."

The quiet plea from the blonde jump started his brain and his heart and his penis practically leapt between them wanting to get out of his shorts and into her as quick as humanly possible. But the condoms were all the way over there and the woman in his lap was moaning into his mouth while her tongue was making it way too hard to concentrate on anything other than her.

He didn't want to get up and break this… _whatever this was_ that they were under, so, no sex tonight, but that didn't mean they couldn't feel good. Didn't mean that they couldn't connect in a primal way.

So he did what she wanted, and touched her.

But as his hands ripped her shirt off over her head and he realised she hadn't put a bra on – which was just so…sexy anyway you looked at it – moments before his mouth descended onto her hard peaks, Lucy realised that this…rawness or perhaps it was the animalistic need between them was why she had been drawn to him. From what she could remember, he fucked like he fought.

He gave himself to every movement one hundred and ten percent and he didn't handle her like a glass doll. He touched her like she was a woman that knew what she wanted and would give her everything if he had the power to do so because he knew that she would return the favour.

It was like the tide, the two of them. One pushed, and the other pulled, never out of balance, the rhythm known for millions of years.

He was full of grace and power and heat but mostly love. He didn't ask if it was alright if he touched her where she most needed it, over her underwear – he had slipped off her shorts when she had been distracted moments earlier – only offering a subtle "…so wet for me already…" before pushing her panties to the side and plunging a single thick digit into her waiting, needy core.

She keened and bucked waiting for him to move, but he never did, only giving her a wolfish grin that had her brain stuttering. "Natsu? What-"

"Tell me, Princess." He still didn't move, the teasing making her throb, her clit wanting the friction he was denying her. She was almost ashamed about how much she ached for this man and his talented fingers, but she couldn't bring herself to care much.

She whimpered as he swirled the finger inside her in a slow circle, but never brought it out, just let her feel the pressure against her folds, her walls squeezing greedily. He placed a chaste kiss on her forehead, almost like a promise that he would do whatever she wanted.

"Tell me what you want." That glint in his eye was back, as well as that smirk that he held when he knew that he had won.

It was a blatant challenge. But Lucy never, _never_ backed down from one when it came to Natsu. She may have been a bit cowardly in the past, running from her father instead of telling him off, but her husband had seen something in her that he deemed worthwhile, so she would show that same man that gave her the courage to stand up to the one person she was terrified of, that she was no longer a scared little girl.

But a woman that wanted something.

No…she demanded it.

With fire in her eyes that crackled like live flames, she used her bent knees on the couch cushion and her thighs to give her leverage, lifted herself up his fingers then slammed back down and groaned. "I want you to fuck me with your fingers, Dragon." She continued to use his digit to pleasure herself while he watched her move.

Her eyes flickered up to his own that had deepened to the colour of evergreen, dark and delicious. "And then I want to suck your cock dry."

"Fuck… _yes_ …" He growled low, eyes flashing in the dim light. Never had anything sounded so good. She had risen to his challenge and offered one in kind. He loved when she was feisty, those amber pools of her filled with determination and lust and want. She knew what she wanted, so she had taken it, and he fucking loved it. "Shit Luce. Got me all fired up already."

He ripped his finger out of her and she yelped when he stripped her of all the rest of her clothing (which was just the panties at the moment, but who was really counting?) and his own shorts but left on his boxers, their chests puffing for air as if they couldn't breathe properly, aroused blushes painted the skin of their cheeks pink. Natsu brought her back down on his lap and it felt infinitely better with almost no clothing between them.

Gripping her hips as and gasped and dug her nails into both his shoulders to keep steady, she rocked his full length through her _sopping_ wet folds. She was absolutely dripping, for him. He could feel it _through his boxers and holy mother of Mavis did that feel good._

"Do you fucking _feel_ that Princess? I'm so goddamn hard for you, it hurts. Shit, you feel so good, _sososo_ good on me."

Her eyes lit up at the feeling, and he had a little flashback to the dirty talk that first night they had shared together. He could get behind that kink any day of the week because he loved telling her just how good she was, how pretty her little pink cunt was to him, how he wanted to take her hard and fast and just keep going until they fell to pieces.

But, not this time.

She had demanded his hand, so he would give this queen what she wanted.

Unceremoniously, he shoved two fingers back into her wetness and captured her lips with his own swallowing every little sound that broke past her lips. He was about to move, about to use those lucky digits that were sitting in her warm folds to pleasure her endlessly, but he was too late because his beautiful wife was already two steps ahead.

She repeated those earlier motions, taking what she wanted from him and letting him watch the show she put on for him with wide green eyes, so dark and full of need that they were almost black. She used his fingers for her own pleasure and he absolutely loved how wild and dishevelled she looked with her head thrown back in ecstasy, her eyes slightly unbelieving as if she couldn't understand quite how she got to that point.

Natsu stretched his thumb up, dragging some of her overwhelming wetness up her slit to rub soft circles around her greedy clit. She keened and arched her back thrusting those glorious breasts of hers into his face.

Not that he minded, it gave his mouth something to do while his fingers were otherwise occupied (now three of them, her cunt was so so so greedy in its need for him, for friction, for release) and he wanted to know just what the skin around her nipples tasted like.

As a salty muskiness with a hint of something inherently sweet burst over his tongue as he dragged his burning tongue over her peaks and sucked them in before using his teeth to gently nibble, Lucy whined for something…her words incoherent and he realised that she was so close to what she truly wanted.

She was cresting that amazing peak within herself, he could see her toes and fingers curling inwards as if there was a string in her stomach winding and pulling them together. He would gladly shove her off the side and down into that abyss below, and he knew it would be soon.

He left her breasts with a wet pop and licked a heated path from her neck to her jaw, to finally come to rest in her hair by her sensitive ears.

Natsu pulled a lobe into his mouth before tugging on it with his teeth. "Such a naughty Princess…fucking yourself with my fingers. Do you wanna come for me?"

Either his words or the tone got through to Lucy's hazy mind and she gave a small mewl then nodded feverishly. But all she could speak was his name, broken and almost incomprehensible.

But he heard her no problem.

A part of himself was delighted that she was showing this part of herself to him, but every other part of his body, including his mind, was telling him to shut up and let her cum so he could watch her break into a million pieces.

So, he twisted his fingers inside of her and started to thrust them into her at a very punishing pace – careful to let his thumb brush against that throbbing nub – and it took only three of his harsh breaths for her to shatter around him with a feral shriek of his name.

She shuddered and bucked against him, the rhythm broken but he didn't mind. The face she made was more than enough for him to know that she was feeling so much pleasure, even if it was twisted up in a way that looked like pain.

 **XXX**

He had done that for her. Natsu. And no one else. He was unbelievably happy and so incredibly warm inside that he just basked in the feel of her skin against his when she slumped forward slightly and sighed into his neck.

He didn't mention the fact that he found her so arousing that he was now so painfully erect that he was wondering if it would ever go down, didn't mention that he could feel the heat and wetness that dripped from her core and _deargods_ the smell of sin and sex in the air, clouding his mind until it felt like it was filled with cotton. Or how her nose rubbing against his collar bone was so distracting that he couldn't even make coherent sentences. Didn't mention the slickness of his fingers that he brought up to his mouth to sample.

Didn't even think about the fact that she had wanted to suck him off until he was bone dry.

He was gratified enough with what he had at the moment.

And it seemed like she was too, as he heard cute little snores from his lap only minutes later.

Natsu laughed. His wife was a fucking champ, giving her dad a run for his proverbial money as well as a lot of emotional shit coming to light. He was fine with this, except for his greedy dick wasn't.

But with many, _many_ thoughts about Gramps in a bathing suit, he was able to temper his raging hard on to a mild halfer, plucked Lucy completely zonked out and snoring with the best of them – he would definitely tease her later about that, there was no doubt in his mind – off her couch and tucked them both into her bed, safe and warm under that old quilt of hers.

For the moment, this would be enough, because who cared about the pace? They had their whole lives in front of them.

* * *

 **-ooo-**

* * *

Not even two hours later after a quick power snooze, had Natsu waking up to the heavenly sight of his little blonde wife staring up at him with those soulful brown eyes of hers with a mouth full of his dick, breasts brushing up against his spread legs, hair asunder around her shoulders.

She had told him what she wanted earlier, and she was a queen so she took it without hesitation. But this situation was a win-win for him, so he didn't give even half a fuck about his sleep schedule. And boy did she deliver in the best ways possible.

It was the sexiest way to wake up after all, especially after she had noticed him awake and fucking winked at him and hummed happily around him. His dick had all but leapt down her throat and her eyes had _smouldered_.

Fuck… _yes_.

* * *

 **-ooo-**

* * *

Natsu woke to the smell of bacon and coffee and heard several shuffles, a very manish grunt, and then a heavy slam.

His eyes popped open and he groped around for Lucy to find that her side of the bed was cold. She had been up for a while then.

He looked around for his clothing but remembered that he had stripped in her living room, then shrugged to himself.

What was a little nudity between spouses?

If he had been less tired, he would have heard a knock at the door, or the sound of it opening then hushed voices conversing, but he was still wrapped up in his thoughts of Lucy and making love to her.

He sauntered out of her bedroom, used the washroom quickly, and then strode towards the kitchen to figure out if there was any more bacon left and whether or not she would make more if it was gone.

Natsu was standing in front of her coffee pot trying to find a damn spoon – where the hell had they all run off to this morning anyways? – When he finally heard a quick shriek that sounded like his name coming from Lucy, and a new voice he didn't know chuckle out the words "very sexy".

He whirled around and immediately regretted it as all eyes were suddenly drawn to his goods below his waist before Lucy rushed forward, pulled a newspaper open (where the hell had that come from?) and wrapped it around him.

She sighed and plastered a nervous smile on her face, gave a fake laugh and ushered the older woman with thick glasses back into her foyer.

He was still a dumbfounded mess, one hand holding the newspaper and the other gripping a mug full of now lukewarm coffee and refused to move in case something else happened.

Maybe he should just go back to bed? Today was already strange, so if he slept until tomorrow, that would make it all better.

"Mavis Natsu, you gave me a heart attack! What are you doing with no pants on out here? My landlady got more than an eyeful of your goods and I don't know how to deal with that. Why didn't you at least put some boxers on?"

"Uhm?"

All he could do was point to his sweatpants still lying on her living room floor and his duffel bags filled with clothes beside the couch with his coffee cup and gave her a strangled smile. "I'm sorry?"

She giggled and shook her head. "It's always something with you, isn't it? Always an adventure waiting around the corner, although…I'm a little peeved I had to share this one with my landlady."

Natsu let the newspaper drift down to the floor of the kitchen, leant up against the counter and took a sip of his coldish coffee with a grimace. He was as nonchalant as could be, he didn't care if his Luce saw him completely bare, in fact, he preferred it. He liked the feeling of her eyes sweeping over him if he was totally honest.

And then he figured out what she was doing.

Packing.

There was one box on her table filled with her kitchen things, and peeking into her living room, another box presumably with her stuff from her writing desk, the throw she had draped over her couch, and two small pictures off the walls.

"Running away? Be careful Princess, I'll always catch you."

Lucy laughed in that open, beautiful way that he loved, and noticed something different about her this morning. She seemed…different. More vibrant.

He likes the change and hoped that it had something to do with him. He didn't ask about last night, and she didn't say, so he left it at that but remembered to ask her at a different time whether or not it helped her.

"Of course you would Natsu. But no. I'm packing you goof. I want to be in Magnolia as soon as possible. I'm ready for the next adventure."

He grinned and drained his cup. "You want to live with me right?"

"Course. You're my weird husband, and I want to meet Happy and enjoy my life. Finally."

"Really?"

She nodded at his disbelieving tone and gave him a weird look. "Why would you doubt that?"

He shrugged, knowing that there was no way to put his feelings into words. There was just…something still nagging at his mind.

Lucy glanced up at him through a curtain of her bangs and read his body language like he was one of her favourite books. He was guarded, closed off, turned almost away from her even if he was entirely nude in her kitchen. Expression wise…he just seemed a little lost.

Guessing why he was suddenly so distant and confused, she tried to remedy it. "You know I love you Natsu, don't you?"

It was as if a great weight on his shoulders was lifted off and he could finally take a deep breath. Natsu pulled Lucy towards him gently and knocked his forehead against hers then kissed the tip of her nose. "Now I do. You weirdo. I love you too."

She pouted and grumbled, but gave him a tight squeeze and his middle and a quick cheek kiss before she was back wrapping newspaper around a couple of mugs.

Natsu smiled, a little giddy if he was entirely honest.

He had a family. His own family and it was better than he had ever imagined. A family that loved him. Perhaps they could add a couple more to that number. Three was great, but how about five? Seven? Ten? "How do you feel about children Luce?"

He had recently realised that he wanted hordes of kids, after all, an army of them, but didn't know if Lucy was there quite yet. She had only found her freedom less than five years ago and would probably want to travel and enjoy the things that she hadn't been able to before without the stress and anxiety of raising a child as well.

"I love kids Natsu. My neighbours have a cute little girl that I adore, Asuka Connell. She loves cowboy hats and toy guns. Adorable. Why do you ask?"

That filled him with a little hope because he wanted kids and if she did too, that would make this so much easier.

He would try to be the most amazing father. He would show Lucy that her bastard of a dad was the anomaly and most were loving and caring and would give anything for their children.

"Cause I want like…a million of them. Droves Lucy. I want an army of kids with blonde hair and cheeky grins that like to climb trees and love animals and ghost stories."

That thought through Lucy for a bit of a loop. He wanted children…with her. It only made sense, being husband and wife and all, but she had barely spread her wings and wanted a couple more exciting years with just her best friend before she decided she was ready for the adventure of being a mother.

Her mother had always told her that children were a great treasure, but they were innocent, so it was up to the parent to mould them. After her own father was such a dick, she wanted to be one hundred and ten percent sure she was totally ready.

Then it would be a wonderful, amazing, exciting, crazy time in her life, but it was only fair to herself, and Natsu and the apparent army of children she would be having if she had no regrets and no reservations. She owed it to her own mother to be the absolute best mother to her children she could be. Sure they would mess up, make mistakes, but they were human. But she had her best friend by her side and she would be lying through her teeth completely if she said she didn't like the idea of a beautiful daughter who was fearless and bright and had a wonderful childhood.

Lucy smacked Natsu in the chest lightly, definitely not forgetting the hordes of children comment. She wasn't a damn baby making machine after all. "I'm not against trying to have a child Natsu, I've always wanted to be a mother, but I want to publish a book first and travel a little bit, branch out and make new friends and dance and have fun. Give me a few years, alright? Just until my wild oats are sown and I get tired of being wild and crazy."

He planted a quick kiss to the top of her golden head. "Gotcha. I'll make sure to stock up on condoms from now on though, can't be too careful."

Lucy eyed him mischievously. "Why did you have condoms with you on a business trip to Crocus anyways? Feeling lucky were you champ? Thought the ladies were gonna throw themselves at you when you won?"

His tone mirrored hers and he wiggled his fingers in her face. "If I remember correctly Mrs Dragneel, you were one of those ladies that threw themselves at me when I won. So…"

"Tch. As if. I have more class than that. I became your best friend, got married to said best friend and _then_ threw myself at you, all before morning. There is a difference you know. It's called tact." She flipped her hair over her shoulder and primly pointed her nose in the air.

He loved her so much.

So, as a natural response, he laughed heartily, the sound moving through the little kitchen and bouncing off the bare walls. "Sure. Let's go with that."

She huffed and looked away, her cheeks puffed up adorably. "Go take a shower and get changed Natsu, I wanna finish packing and you're distracting me with all those muscles."

He wiggled his eyebrows and caught Lucy around her waist and pressing her up against his body. "Wanna join me, I'll make it worth your while…"

She slapped his arms while snorting. "Get away from me you heathen."

"Fine. But I wanna eat first."

"NO. Go shower."

"Food! Please! _Why are you so mean to me, Luce?_ "

" _Why are you acting like a child?_ "

"But I'm hungry Lucy! I smelt bacon. Where is it?"

She hummed as he nipped the side of her neck. "I ate it Natsu." She ignored his gasp of mock indignation, "I've been up for almost three hours making sure everything was in order for my move. I've paid off my rent, quit my job at Sorcerer Weekly, told my father to suck it and now all I have to do is finish packing."

"Alright. Fine. I will clothe this beautiful body of mine. But we're going out for like…fifty breakfast sandwiches after it's all finished."

Lucy laughed as she watched him saunter away while flexing those gorgeous muscles of his to tease her and make her smile.

How did she ever get so lucky?

"Did you know that you snore as loud as a chainsaw?"

Scrap that. He was the devil.

* * *

 **-ooo-**

* * *

"Are you sure this is it? Did you check twice?"

"Yep! All the furniture was there before, and the bedding is so old I want new stuff anyways. All I have is this." Lucy pointed at three duffel bags, her purse, laptop bag and two boxes. "Shoes and purses, work clothes, and uhm…unmentionables…" Natsu almost ripped open the last blue duffel in his haste to see just what his wife was so nervous about.

He was nosey like that.

Mounds of lace, silk, satin, bows, frills and flowery patterns peeked out at him and he hummed in understanding while lifting a g-string that couldn't have been very functional, there was barely any material. "Damn."

"Natsu!" She hissed, snatching his new toy away from him. "Don't go showing the world my underwear you idiot."

He snickered and gave her a wink. "I won't if you promise to model that little number for me later."

She gave a huff and crossed her arms giving him a delightful show of her cleavage. He was such a perv for his wife…

"Fine."

Natsu beamed and picked up the two boxes, his own duffel bags and two of hers. "Don't get me wrong Luce, I think it's great that you don't have a million things to move, but I thought women had a lot more…shoes and shit."

Her voice came from behind him as they started to walk to the post office on the corner of her block. "I never thought of that place as home, it just wasn't…right. And I felt like I would need to leave at a moment's notice, either for work or even running from my father again." She giggled and ushered him into the post office, holding the door open for him. "I would love to have huge bookshelves to fit all the hard copy books I can find, or even an office or library to get work done in, and a big desk, but I didn't in that place and kept everything electronic for the same reason."

He lowered both boxes onto a scale in front of a postal worker so that they could be shipped to his place in Magnolia, finished paying, and shipped those cumbersome items.

"When we get to Magnolia, I'll send you on a shopping spree with the girls, so that they can get to know you. And you know Levy would always help you find new books, I think she loves them more than Gajeel sometimes."

She tilted her head at him and frowned. "That's sweet of you Natsu, but I can't take money from you like that."

"You forget, we're married now. What's mine is yours, Luce."

Her face burned crimson and she looked bashful. "Alright. But only a small one! And only because I want to meet everyone too. And nothing too extravagant, just some casual clothes. Okay?"

Natsu laughed. "Yah yah, no worries. I have too much money and have no idea what to do with it anyways, I want to spoil my cute wife a little alright? It would make me happy."

Lucy rolled her eyes and stuck her tongue out before hailing a taxi down. "Fine you silly Dragon, I'll do it."

Even through the nausea that he could feel welling up in his stomach already at the sight of the car, Natsu could see her happy grin.

She was excited about this next step, and so was he.

 **-ooo-**

The train from Crocus to Magnolia took up the most of the rest of the day, full of moaning and green complexions and vomit, but both made it to their destination in relatively one piece. Although, Natsu was extremely hungry again now that they had moved on from the transportation portion of their day, arriving in Natsu's favourite place in all of Earthland well after the sun had set.

"Come on Luce! This way!"

It was only a small walk to his house from the train station and Natsu was too excited to see her face than to really feel the effects of the motion sickness on his body.

Tucked away on a cul-de-sac, sat a small red-brick home with white shutters and a white door. There was a black wrought iron fence with a cute little gate that ran around the outside (she would learn that it was commissioned from Gajeel years earlier when the wooden one had fallen apart) and she could see that the backyard was a perfect size.

The best part was the gigantic magnolia tree in full bloom that stood in the front yard, it was so beautiful and it made the air smell wonderful.

"Oh Natsu…"

He looked at her, just waiting and waiting and _waiting_ for her judgement.

"It's adorable! I can't wait to see inside."

He wilted with relief. "Let's go home then eh?"

She smiled wistfully at him for a moment before nodding. "Yes. Let's go home."

* * *

 **This chapter was written for those two lovelies that PM'd me and gave me that extra little bit of oomph to get me on the right track again. Honestly, I am so much happier with the way this worked out. You know who you are, so thanks a million you saved my tookus.**

 **As it goes, my updates will come in a day late and a dollar shot, but bear with me my precious cupcakes, because Band-Aid will continue if I have anything to say about it!**

 **Next: Mask**

 **Guess who's going to FAIRY TAIL? Will there be chaos? Who knows? There will be strawberry cake though…**

 **Stay Crazy,**

 **LoadedEel**


	6. Mask

All Rights to Hiro Mashima

 **Thanks for all the support you precious cupcakes. You all rock so hard I can't even… :3**

BEWARE! FLUFF SOFTER THAN A BABY LAMB! DOMESTIC NATSU! TERRIFIED LUCY! ERZA'S MIGHTY THIGHS INCOMING!

* * *

 **~ Mask ~**

 _In which Lucy learns the true meaning of the words 'controlled chaos', while Natsu decides to play a little game._

* * *

 _"Yo Laki! It's Natsu…I realise you're probably super busy and shit, but I was wondering if I could ask you a favour. I would pay for it of course! I just…want it to be a big surprise for her. I'll give you extra if you rush the job, but I understand that you can only do so much at a time. I want to commission four pieces from you, the specs are easy, but I want them made of your sturdiest, longest lasting wood and stained deep—shit! Hang on!"_

The lilac-haired woman stared at her lacrima com in confusion. Natsu had never, ever called her before, they didn't even text. She didn't even know that he had her number…oh well.

She heard a scuffle and a bit of a crash, then a meow and she knew that it was Happy the famed blue-haired cat making a scene again. And then a tinkle of a feminine laughter.

Interesting.

The recording went on with Natsu a little out of breath and a whole lot disgruntled, grumbling about someone ganging up on him. _"—anyways uhm…please don't say a word about this, but I'll find you at the bar later today or tomorrow or whenever to tell you specifically what I want. I want her to be so amazed alright? Just…yah. Okay. That's it. Thanks. Bye_."

Laki listened to the recording at least three more times to make sure she wasn't hallucinating but ultimately came to the same conclusion.

Natsu wanted her to make something for him, which was a surprise gift, for a woman.

She couldn't wait to get to Mira's bar tonight.

* * *

 **-ooo-**

* * *

Lucy giggled as she tousled a purring Happy dry with a big white towel. The little guy made quite a mess earlier when she was trying to make cupcakes for her to bring to the bar tonight. The blue kitty had gotten so underfoot with her that she had upended a full mixing bowl full of batter all over the floor, herself and then him.

So, she decided to take a bath, and then bathe Happy. She was pleasantly surprised to find that this strange cat – who was so obviously Natsu's with all the weirdness in him – actually enjoyed the water. So she switched to a shower and he had played with the water pelting his back like a tangible thing, meowing loudly like an alley cat the whole while.

When they were both clean, Happy decided to skip the step of drying off to go and pounce on his unsuspecting owner, who cursed and swore like a sailor, even though he was laughing.

He had handed Happy back to a towel-clad Lucy with a look that conveyed his suspicion (as if she sent the cat to him in a fit of spite or something), but she had only grinned innocently and winked.

Natsu had opened his wonderful house to her and she couldn't have been happier. Two floors, four bedrooms and three baths, it was spacious and airy. A cross between the old world with the brick from the outside of the house creeping in on the fireplaces, and new as the kitchen was completely state of the art and gleamed in the warm lighting.

No chandeliers, no stupidly expansive ballrooms, no tables that seat fifty people.

It was intimate and adorable. And she loved it.

But it was…messy.

Or, it was unkempt to, say the least. Dusty and musty – most likely due to the fact that Natsu spent most of his time at the bar, the gym, or travelling, and there it was mostly empty. A single bed (which after oozing into the front door in a tired heap early that morning, they had slept in it in their clothes) and dresser in the master bedroom, three bedrooms completely bare – except one looked like it was holding a couple of miscellaneous boxes from when Natsu moved in – and the kitchen (while beautiful of course) only held the minimum utensils, one pot, one pan, and only food that could be for breakfast.

When asked he replied with "I can't cook anything that doesn't have eggs in it, so I gave up long ago and just go to Mira's instead of almost burning my house down…again" and she was half scandalised and half amused. But no matter, Lucy was here now and would help him out, he looked like a man who would love to barbeque constantly (possibly play with the fire if he had his way) so she asked him why he didn't have one. To which he had no answer and pouted for two hours at the lost opportunities for steaks.

He had given her a tour (proudly pointing into his cutlery drawer to show her that he did indeed have only one type of fork) before parading around the second floor. She had asked about the unused room and he only said that he hadn't found a good use for them yet, but hoped to in the future. The sparkle in his eyes told her that he was envisioning great things, exciting things, but wouldn't tell her anything yet.

The bastard, keeping secrets from his poor wife.

Even then, the house was lovely but empty.

Not the bad kind that looked like ghosts could set up shop in every corner, or cold like her old manor house. But…unfinished, like there were spaces that were just waiting to be filled with pictures and knick-knacks and memories. It needed his hordes of children and decorative pieces from their travels, trophies and belts that he had won, and a library.

Damn, the house needed a library.

When she had voiced that…he had just shrugged and said maybe. But told her that she needed books first before anything like that could happen. Lucy agreed and promptly whipped out the card that Levy had given her six days ago (so much had happened in those days that she felt that she hadn't talked to the bluenette in years instead) and proceeded to _try_ to call her new best friend – because who else would Levy be, she owned a goddamn bookstore for the Gods sake, it was a match made in heaven – when Natsu plucked her lacrima com and held it up high in the air.

"Natsu! You're being a giant jerkwad! Give me my lacrima back! I wanna call the love of my life and you're preventing me from buying a million books _and I will beat you so hard you'll talk funny for a week_! STOP LAUGHING!"

"But, no one knows you're here. I don't wanna spoil the surprise…just imagine all their faces!" He cackled with a maniacal grin that looked so at home on his face that it was a bit scary.

Lucy admitted that would be really funny to see their surprise and conceded to which he swooped down and kissed her breathless while pinning her up against the fridge in his kitchen (their kitchen)…just to remind her who the _real_ love of her life was.

As if it could be anyone else.

* * *

 **-ooo-**

* * *

They had a lovely afternoon together. Unpacking Lucy's things only took the better part of one hour (seriously Lucy! Where is all your stuff? You have less than me and I'm a guy!) And they had opted to order in pizzas from Macao's in the industrial district.

He had asked Lucy to order them so he could take a shower as she had made him dust – he didn't even know what that was until today, Erza would be so appalled if she ever found out – and he knew immediately when the pies had shown up twenty-five minutes later, steaming and ready to be devoured, that Lucy was his ultimate match, the yang to his yin, the milk to his cookie, etc.

She had three larges delivered, one for herself – an interesting combination of Hawaiian with added olives and mushrooms, Gods she was weird but he loved her anyway so it didn't matter much – and two for him.

When he opened them, he had gasped audibly and wanted to cry in joy. He didn't even know that Macao's made something like this and it was amazing. Truly a work of art.

So he took a bite and then groaned absolutely lewdly – to his amusement he saw the tops of Lucy;s ears pink at the sound – because he was in heaven and this pizza was akin to food of the Gods.

Then the burn hit him, his mouth was on fire and he _loved it_.

"What…what the hell even is this? I've never seen it before and believe me, I order from there all the time, the guy who owns the place is a patron of Mira's he used to spar at Fairy Tail in the old days."

Lucy had shrugged and grinned. "I just told the guy that answered the phone that I wanted two of his largest pizzas with all the meat he could fit on it, every spicy pepper and add hot sauce to the tomato base, pepper jack cheese, then drizzled with sriracha."

He had never eaten so much so fast in his life. He was a bottomless pit, but he inhaled that damn pizza like it was going out of fucking style that he actually got a stomach ache.

But it was worth it.

Natsu had vowed then to order that same pizza every week – like the glutton he was, and he was _not ashamed to say it_ – and Lucy had wanted to tell him no, but the look of absolute bliss on his face when he said it was so close to the look he got when he orgasmed that the words had died in her throat and she was so turned on by the weirdest thing that she just nodded and coughed awkwardly instead.

(A year later, after having ordered the damn thing every Saturday when they were in town, Natsu would hear that Macao had said 'screw it' and named the crazy ass spicy meat pizza 'The Salamander' and Natsu would actually cry tears of joy, to which Lucy rolled her eyes and kept drinking her smoothie. Her husband was a giant dork.)

So here they were, just before dusk, standing in front of Mira's restaurant, 'Changelings Bar and Grill' trying to decide whether or not they should go inside, state they are married and then either die under a pile of their families bodies, or run for the hills and never look back again.

Natsu, in particular – seeing as he actually knew all these crazy people – was looking a bit apprehensive. Which was an understatement because he was as pale as Lucy was usually and going through nervous sweats.

"Why are you all greasy?"

"It's sweat! And I'm not!"

"I knew you shouldn't have eaten all that pizza at once. You'll get love handles and then I might have to divorce you for Gray and run off into the sunset."

Natsu had pulled his little teasing smirking wife close to him and growled into her ear. "You can tease me about putting on weight all you want, but never speak ill of the pizza. She was a gift from the Gods and should be treated like the lady she is…well was, seeing as I devoured her completely."

And the strange part of this was…Lucy was actually getting seriously aroused. Whether from the way Natsu's lips were grazing her ears – that he knew were super sensitive the bastard! – or the things he was saying, which was a pile of nonsense mostly but had her thinking of her husband all pink-haired and gleaming green eyes eating her out like she was the most delicious thing he had ever tasted.

But it didn't matter because it was happening to her body when she was about to go and meet his friend – our friends Luce! Don't be weird about it… - and she was suddenly finding heat pooling like a liquid thing in her belly and she _couldn't stop it damn Natsu was just so fucking hot._

He nipped the shell of her ear once and chuckled darkly as if he knew what he was doing to her – which he did – and then pulled away to give her a goofy smile trying to distract her from the ridiculous boner he was popping in his pants when he had heard her breath stutter and felt her hands around his waist grip tighter.

Natsu eyed the situation…they could probably put this off for one more day right? He was slightly reeling from half formed ideas of Lucy in their bed all dishevelled and hot and _damn there goes the last of the room in his pants_. Agh, he loved how just the thought of Lucy could set him off and he was suddenly wondering why he had wasted the afternoon eating pizza instead of enjoying the deliciousness that rested between her legs.

He scrapped that idea when he remembered that the pizza was amazing and he was in a food coma for three and a half hours after and had awoken to Lucy doodling penises on his forehead, in permanent marker.

Shit, he loved her so much.

He was just about the throw her over his shoulder like a true caveman to go back to his home, or a deserted alley way somewhere, cause he didn't think he could make it when she was staring at him like that, when the mother of all erection killers clamped her hand down onto his shoulder.

Immediately he released Lucy from his arms, there was no need for her to be dragged through hell and back with him.

He knew his good luck would run out sometime, and here that moment was.

"Where the fuck have you been Dragneel! You better have a stupidly good reason for disappearing like that after your match."

He paled and whimpered, flaccid as can be now. He silently said his last goodbyes to his best friend and prayed that she would find Happy's stash of fish before it got too stinky – that cat was a mischievous dickhead – and smiled ruefully at his PR Director.

"H-hi Erza…"

Her thunderous expression did nothing but set his nerves on fire, and not in a good way before he squeaked out something that might have been "I can explain!" Before she all but propelled him into the bar and away from his obviously confused – and a little amused – best friend whom they left standing on the sidewalk outside.

The bar itself was a quiet and only the regulars were in there, which meant that his entire family was already there to witness his death by the red-headed Demon.

But he didn't want to die! And he certainly didn't want to go out without having one more look at Lucy's stupidly gorgeous face. "Wait! Erza! Hold up a minute!"

"What Dragneel? Laxus wants to have a word with you and he's in a bit of a 'Thunderous' mood if you catch my drift."

Shit.

Well…his life was forfeit. "Uhm…uhhh…"

"Erza? Erza Scarlett?"

Suddenly, like angels descending onto Earthland and sending miracle upon miracle through the world, his brilliant and amazing wife stepped in and was shoving her dainty little hand into his demonic PR Director's face, essentially pulling her attention away from Natsu and towards something new and shiny.

The shiny thing was Lucy in all her adorableness. Gold hair swaying and her megawatt smile out in full force that shined brighter than the Goddamn sun.

She was a fucking treasure and saved him from multiple pain-filled deaths, if only for the moment, and he was going to reward her for her good timing later that night. He had no doubts that she would not dissuade him from that decision.

"Yes? Do I know you?" Erza looked presently surprised but resigned and he knew what that was like. People recognised him daily, but not as Natsu Dragneel, but as the Salamander. Erza probably thought that Lucy was just a fan.

But she wasn't, but only Natsu knew that at the moment.

"Oh! Pardon me, where are my manners…My name is Lucy. I write under the name Fairy Heart for Sorcerer Weekly and some other papers around Crocus. I talked to you a couple months ago about the expose on the tournament?"

"Oh yes! A pleasure to make your acquaintance." Erza accepted the handshake with vigour and doing so, dropped her vice grip on Natsu's shoulder. He slipped away from Titania and decided to skulk behind Lucy, using her as a human shield as it was.

The quick little quirk up of the blonde's lips showed that she noticed he was terrified. And if she ever teased him about it, he would show her footage of Titania four years ago when she was in Crocus for an event – being Pandemonium, which in and of itself is fucking insane and stupid – fought against one hundred highly trained Knights from ERA and won.

She would know his terror if it was the last thing he ever did. He might be the Salamander, he might be physically stronger than her – no hate, he is a man it is just biology working for him – he might get stronger and more focused when he has something to fight for, and he might enjoy the feel of adrenaline coursing through his veins, but he has nothing on Erza when she is deadly focused and her righteous sense of justice and fury come out.

Her signature move – named after her of course – was called Hammer of Justice for Mavis' sake. She was just so… _Erza_.

It didn't help her image any when you knew that her husband – one Jellal Fernandes – owns, runs and monopolises the private security scene in Fiore when he created Crime Sorciere almost six years ago.

When he was a fucking teenager.

Those two were just…Gods among men.

"Please forgive the radio silence over the past two days Ms Erza, I apologise for the confusion. Natsu's phone was off and no one had my number. I tried to interview Natsu here for my article but got caught up in…a challenge from Cana," Erza hummed and nodded in understanding at that, "So we decided to call it a night, slept at the hotel, then I finished my interview later and Natsu here, being the gentleman he is, helped me out of a problem I was having, we came right back when we had the time and I have always wanted to travel and we just hit it off. We became best friends over night and lost track of time learning everything about each other…I hope it didn't cause too many problems." Her mask of innocence was enough to fool Erza, but he saw the vixen underneath when her brown eyes glimmered just a little too much with hidden mirth.

Damn, she was a good actress.

Natsu almost wept. Lucy was taking the blame for their little adventure and talking him up to Erza of all people. He loved her even more for not throwing him under the bus. He wished he had found Lucy sooner than this, he could have avoided so many head traumas from Titania's "punishments" over the years if nothing else.

And he ogled her use to words. While everything she said was the truth – which he knew she valued over most other things – it wasn't the whole truth per se. He thought the term was 'lying through omission' but didn't really care one way or the other.

He watched as Erza blushed and stammered out a thank-you as Lucy complimented her skirt or something – full disclosure he wasn't really listening – and then Titania left with a nod back to the bar to relay the message to Laxus who was eyeing him from across the bar.

Scratch that.

Every single one of his friends and family were looking at him and Lucy as they stood in the entryway like they were a science experiment they couldn't wait to see go wrong.

The little gasp that came from Lucy clued Natsu in that she was a bit scared. So he flashed the peanut gallery a signature grin and hauled Lucy by her elbow, none too gracefully, into a hidden alcove beside the door that held hooks for coats and hats and things of that nature.

"Luce. You okay?"

She nodded then rubbed her arms in that way that told him she was nervous. "It's just…what if they don't like me Natsu?"

"What? You already won over Erza! You're speaking nonsense and you know it."

Natsu grabbed her hands as she looked down at her toes peeking out of purple heels that made her ass look phenomenal. "Princess. Look at me."

If his tone didn't catch her attention, the use of that _very specific_ endearment did. He only used that when he was feeling especially loving – the line wasn't that cut and dry because he really did love her lots, like….a huge amount – and Lucy did catch his eye finally. "They are a weird bunch of people, but amazing. Just like you-" she huffed and poked him in the ribs for that comment, "So you'll fit right in. You have me, and Metal Butt, and the Squirt, and Happy has already abandoned me for you so I think you'll be fine. Plus Wendy seemed very thankful when you braided her hair when we picked up my traitor cat from her last night. They are so accepting, I promise."

To his horror, Lucy looked like she was about to cry. He had meant all those words in a kind way, to boost her self-esteem, but he was making her tear up instead.

 _This was why he was a man of little words and used actions instead!_

"Oh, Natsu! Thank you."

"…huh?"

And then his little wife collided with his torso and sniffled. "Who knew you had a way with words?"

He snorted. Natsu certainly didn't know. Usually, he just punched something if it was bothering him, so being smooth like Gray was when he was speaking was definitely new.

"Come on Luce. Let's go meet your new family."

He dragged her back into the main beer hall to exclamations of excitement and a round of "where the hell have you been?" before everyone gravitated towards the new blonde woman attached to his side. They were bombarded with questions from every side before Lucy was stolen by a bawling Levy who was just so happy that she had come to Magnolia and every other woman in the place descended like vultures.

The men decided that they hadn't had enough brawls recently, so he was pulled into a heated one between Gray, Gajeel, and Elfman before Laxus had forcibly split them up.

But the smile that lit up Lucy's face, one from being immediately accepted no matter what, made the bruise on his cheek and scratch just above his eyebrow worth it to see her happy.

* * *

 **-ooo-**

* * *

It became a running game for them that first night in the bar, especially when it became more and more packed with people who weren't regulars, waiting patiently for the first person to realise that either one of the newly wedded pair were sporting a gold ring on a very specific finger that could mean little else.

Lucy had brushed by him for a moment on the way to the ladies room three…no, make that almost four hours ago proposing a little bet.

If she was asked first about her ring, then Natsu would win and Lucy would do something for him tomorrow no questions asked.

And the same went for Lucy. They couldn't hide the ring more than necessary, and after a while of wondering when the bomb would drop, the pair forgot all about the rings in all honesty and was just content to while away the hours laughing and talking and eating (no drinking because Cana plus any type of booze still made them queasy).

Lucy learned so much. She had spoken to both Freed – Laxus' lawyer friend who kept the gym out of too much trouble – and Levy about books and current events. Met the Strauss sibling and fangirled over Mira for a moment before being swept up into a Strauss family hug. Watched a million and one brawls between Gray and Natsu that usually ended up with Erza slapping their heads together to get them to stop. There was just so many people to meet. Bickslow the sweet but loud custom wood designer that employed an odd woman named Laki. Evergreen who owned a beauty salon down by the boardwalk called "Fairy's Delight." Jellal, the stoic but calm husband of the famous Titania and his one-eyed sarcastic Lieutenant Erik "Cobra" Ophis.

There just wasn't enough time in the day to know everything, but it was a start. Her cheeks hurt from all the smiling and she couldn't be happier.

She watched her husband from across the room as he wildly gestured a chicken wing, miming a fight – most likely the one that brought them together – when he caught her eye and winked. She melted inside and was horrified to find a blush creeping up her cheek bones. They had already done so much together, learned each other's bodies inside and out, knew all their secrets and deepest desires.

How was she so flustered?

Natsu, on the other hand, was delighted to see Lucy covering up her cheeks with a bewildered expression that just made him want to kiss her cute little mouth.

But then the bet between them would be forfeit and he really wanted Lucy to do something for him tomorrow. Like…he was already half-hard already with thoughts about all the possible acts he could have her do, no questions asked.

An hour later had him speaking quietly – which was so out of character for him it wasn't even funny – and earnestly to both Laki and Bickslow about a surprise for Lucy, when he heard an exclamation of excitement from the bar.

It was Mira, the She-Devil herself in all her Demon glory, hanging over her own bar with Lucy's left hand shoved in her face, a smirking Cana – who was the bar tender of Changeling's, Natsu didn't really understand how she made any drinks she was almost always plastered – standing right behind her.

"Lucy! You didn't mention you were married? And neither did Natsu. I must hear everything about the event! Do you have pictures? Who's the lucky guy? Did he come with you?"

Natsu was both happy – he won the bet and Lucy would be riding a Dragon tomorrow – and apprehensive. Bickslow looked at him strangely when his shoulders and arms locked up with nervous tension, just waiting silently for Lucy's answer.

"Oh. He's here alright, and it happened quite recently."

"Lulu! How come I didn't notice when we were in Crocus talking? I'm usually more observant." Levy had joined the growing crowd around her after her latest trip to the bathroom.

"Because it happened that night."

"…what?" Stunned silence from the room fell over his ears like a blanket.

"You eloped."

Lucy cocked her head and her eyes slid to him, sharing a secret look before she answered with a nod.

Cana guffawed in the background, which was strange, but she wasn't doing it maliciously…it was if she knew something that no one else did and could barely contain it.

Mira waved her hands around. "I don't care! I still want pictures though!"

Lucy clapped her hands happily and slid her purse off her shoulder. "Of course Mira, unfortunately, I only have one."

With grabby hands, Mira ripped the photo from a still smirking Lucy, took one look at it and promptly fainted.

"Mira! What the hell?" Elfman tried to shake her awake but was unable to while Lisanna pulled the photo out of the death grip her sister had on that small piece of paper.

Unlike Mira, Lis didn't faint, but she did turn a strange red-ish purple colour when she forgot to breathe. Freed had to slap her on the back to get her going once more, and when she did, she rounded on a seemingly bored looking Natsu in the corner sandwiched between her almost boyfriend Bickslow and Laki.

Cana had abandoned all pretences of having a bit of control and was well and truly cackling now.

Lisanna pointed at her childhood friend in utter astonishment. "You?"

Natsu held up his left hand and twirled his new jewellery around his ring finger. "Me."

The pinkette had no idea what to expect, but the disbelieving shout of "HOLY FUCKING SHIT!" from his rival Gray and the burning look of possessiveness – which was super-duper hot – that Lucy gave him for the fact that she could now claim him as being her husband in public, made the fist to the face from Erza worth it.

* * *

 **Next: Tattoo**

 **WARNING! DOUCHEBAG ALERT! INCOMING STICK UP THE ASS!**

 **Stay Crazy my precious cupcakes,**

 **LoadedEel**


	7. Tattoo

All Rights to Hiro Mashima

BEWARE! LAHAR IS A DUMBASS! SHOPPING SPREES! HORNY MEN AND LINGERIE!

* * *

 **~ Tattoo ~**

 _In which stories are told, ink is considered, and ERA finally meets their match in Lucy._

* * *

"Erza, do you think that hit was entirely necessary? I mean it was clean, but now half his face is bruised to shit. He does have an image to uphold."

Laxus chucked a frozen bag of peas and a clean dish rag at Natsu's head – who tried to catch it, but failed due to his messed up depth perception – and pouted at both his trainer and PR Director.

Lucy tutted beside him while he crossed his arms like a petulant child and held up the makeshift ice pack to his damaged cheek, eye and jaw bone. "I agree with Sparky on this one Ms Erza, it was entirely uncalled for."

"Oi! What did I say about calling me Sparky, Blondie?"

The tiny blonde woman whipped her head around and gave him a piercing glare. "What did I say about calling me Blondie, Sparky?" Strangely enough, the two blondes in the bar had formed a seriously…fast brother-sister bond over the course of the night. But, it didn't really surprise anyone after the marriage bomb dropped on them.

Considering who was involved – new girl Lucy who was a sweetheart and flame addicted Natsu who loved fighting more than he loved food – could you blame them for being a little confused?

"Shit. Alright…Mavis…Touché. Damn, Natsu. You've found a little spit fire haven't you?" Laxus' implications, while not entirely lewd, were so obvious a child could hear the innuendo in his voice.

Before Natsu could say anything to back up his wife – and subsequently put his foot in his mouth, or up his ass or somewhere else unpleasant – Lucy tossed back a flippant "Oh you have _no_ idea," and the issue was dropped, but the Thunder God looked down on her with pride.

Erza, on the contrary, kept at the original problem, ever the one with the single track mind. "NATSU!" She barked in her no nonsense tone that had Gray slinking away to hide behind Elfman. He was a relatively slim man, he was confident the sheer size of the middle Strauss would be enough to keep him from view because if he knew one thing for certain…it was to duck and cover when her voice got all commanding like that.

Unless you were Jellal, who apparently liked her like that, which was confirmed by the downright star struck _dreamy_ look he was shooting his wife.

"Care to explain why you took advantage of this woman?" Then she gave a small gasp and looked even more demonic than before. "Did you sully her honour?"

To most everyone else, it sounded like Erza was accusing Natsu of forcing Lucy to be his wife, or to be with him or something of that nature – which he didn't! It was only a suggestion and she agreed heartily! – but Natsu knew that she was talking about his deportation problem and not… _ugh_ he couldn't even think about forcing Lucy to anything against her will. She'd kick him in the nuts with her stupidly perfect roundhouse, then steal his cat and then divorce the ever loving shit out of him in a single second.

Probably.

She was a force to be reckoned with.

Lucy guffawed loudly. And then snorted in a display of un-lady-like behaviour that it had him wondering why he hadn't found her sooner. She was just so Lucy. So weird. "You think—ppfttt…you think _Natsu forced me into marriage?_ That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard! He's the nicest, kindest, sweetest man I've ever met!"

While he did enjoy the things she was saying…his family was absolutely glowing at the phrases. He would never hear this down. He was supposed to be some badass MMA fighter. He wasn't kind. Or sweet.

Then he looked at Lucy and all he could think about was dropping a kiss on her forehead, push that single piece of hair that came loose from her bun back behind her ear, rub her feet and brew her some tea or something like that.

Natsu sniffed. Fine. He was sweet.

But _only_ for his wife. Because damn did she deserve someone like that and he was all too willing to be that man. He wanted to dote on her constantly because he knew she would do the same thing for him right back.

Erza deflated a bit under Lucy's blatant display of incredulous laughter. "Well…yes? Did he even tell you about his _problem_?" She whispered the last word in an effort to be mysterious, but all it achieved was that most of his friends probably thought he had like…and STI or an incurable disease or Gods forbid…problems with his downstairs Dragon.

Which was so uncool…he didn't even know what to say. Because his Dragon was perfectly fine thank you very much and worked wonderfully if the memories of Lucy's pants and strangled moans from their first night together was anything to go by. He _almost_ wanted to say that, but at the last moment decided not to, that would definitely go too far in front of everyone.

Luckily he didn't have to _say_ anything because Lucy had it well under control.

"Of course. It was one of the first things he told me…errr…sort of. Might have actually screamed it at me to be quite honest. I told you, I had a problem too and this solution sorted it out, mutually."

The blank look everyone was giving them was enough for Lucy to sigh and then try to begin the story from the very start, from when Natsu had asked her out for drinks and her life completely changed.

Before she could even get one syllable out, a tanned arm dropped over her shoulder after two ales were slammed down on the wooden table in front of both her and Natsu. One look at who it was had both of them scowling, then pushing the alcohol away from them as quickly as possible.

"Don't worry Titania. It was totally consensual and completely, nauseatingly adorable. You should have seen the looks these two were giving each other. I wanted to puke from the cuteness." If Cana noticed their hesitance to drink in her presence, she didn't speak a word on the subject.

"Wait. Cana…"

Lucy ripped open her purse and produced – magically because she was obviously Mary Poppins – the entire folder of marriage documents and showed their resident drunk the squiggly signature on the witness line. "Is that yours?"

"Oh yeah. That was me. I stood up and witnessed the _whole_ sappy shebang." She pointed to a blob of chestnut brown in the corner of the picture laid out on the table. "Look! There I am!"

"Uh huh. Alright, I'll believe that…but why didn't you say anything to anyone about it!? I expected to get a lot of grief from everyone, but my lacrima was almost completely empty when I turned it on three days later." Natsu looked genuinely confused.

For an answer, Cana swiped one of the ales off the table and pointed down to where her girlfriend was slowly waking up after having fainted. "It's hard to get her to do that anymore. And…I wanted to see everyone's faces really. I told them that you had something to do and you would be back before they knew it. Erza gave you five days before she said she would come for you personally." She shrugged then downed the pint in one go, slamming it back onto the wooden bench-top after she was done and belched. "I had a bet going with Erik to see who could make Mira faint like that again it first anyway and I win," she made grabby hands at Cobra who grumbled about getting her money to her tomorrow.

Mira pouted. "Unfair Cana. But, I agree that it was better this way. You know I love surprises." She dropped a wink at her girlfriend, her blue eyes shimmering with delight. "I'll forgive you, but only if you buy me something pretty with your winnings."

"You betcha babe. I'll buy you something so fucking pretty I'll have to rip it right off you."

The room dissolved into disgusted groans and wolf whistles and a single 'that's how you treat a man!' from Elfman in the corner. Natsu was incredulous that Cana would do something like that for him but realised it was in her own best interest after all. Sometimes he envied the bartender. She was so bold and brash and didn't give a flying fuck about anyone else except her family and her girl. Natsu decided he wanted to act like that towards Lucy a little more. Tell her exactly how he made her feel all the time.

No secrets between them right?

Later in the week, he would search the internet for the video of him and Lucy to find that nothing existed online. (He would go on to pay Cana's tab for a whole month – he could afford it after all – for all she had done for him and Lucy.)

(Natsu would continue to ponder the mystery of how not one of his friends ever saw the videos of him attacking Lucy with his mouth in the middle of the lobby of Galuna Island casino off and on for the next few months. It wouldn't be for almost a year and a half when he found out that Moka – the owner – had confiscated and deleted all incriminating photography and videos off his patron's lacrima coms, something that he did for all his favourites, and possibly as a wedding present to the man who managed to make him millions in one night.)

Erza snapped her fingers in front of Lucy's face to get her back to the present conversation. "Lucy, I don't mean to be insensitive, but I wanted to hear the full story and I need to know soon so I know how much damage control to do. Natsu is _very fond_ of making my life harder when it needs to be."

"Fine. Just…listen alright and please…don't…uhm…ask me any questions until I'm done alright?"

Most nodded and hunkered down for the best story of that year, letting the sounds of the bar and grill wash over them like white noise.

Lucy spun a tale of drunken challenges and dancing, yelling over music and telling secrets. When she dropped the name Heartfilia, most in the room blinked or coughed at the realisation, but left it at that, which Lucy was grateful for.

She skipped over the incredible drunken sex – twice! – And went straight in for the kill with how they had woken up and pieced it all together.

Then learning about one another. At this, Natsu had pulled Lucy into her lap and she curled into his warmth again like she just…belonged there…all while she continued to speak. Mira let out a coo that was echoed throughout the bars females, but that was it.

Her father was a major hurdle for her, and she was glad that Natsu stepped in to tell a little of that story when the emotions were too thick in her throat. He was still her father, even if he was being a bit of a bastard, so it stung…but not as bad as it should've. Her husband seemed to be a balm to her aching emotions, and she was alright with that.

Packing. Mailing. Train ride. Moving into Natsu's house.

There was so much to the tale, so many different things had happened that it seemed to stretch over years instead of just mere days.

All in the room could agree at the end though, with the way that their pink-haired pyro friend was stroking his new wife's hair, and the endearing smile on her face, no one could say that they hadn't been meant to meet, or fall in love or get married.

No one could ever speak up and say it was too soon.

The only objection came from the girls who stated that she deserved a 'real wedding.' Slightly bewildered and extremely apprehensive, Lucy watched at the She-Devil and Titania dove right into colour schemes while Levy – in all her penguin waddling glory – donned her favourite red glasses and started to speed read through a pile of bridal magazines. Gajeel watched half amused half annoyed as his fiancé was more invested in someone else's wedding.

But he couldn't really complain. He knew his Shrimp wanted to push out his shorty first then get back to all that girly frilly stuff. She wanted to be a mom first and deal with all that other crap later, and he liked the way that sounded. Although, Salamander might have been on the right track with the whole elopement thing…

"I don't think I've ever felt true fear until now." The shivers down Lucy's back were definitely not from her close proximity to Natsu this time around. She hadn't had many woman friends, and all these amazing people were doing something for Lucy before even being asked. (If she had been asked, she would have told them cream and lilac for the colours, but no one did so she just kept her mouth shut.)

"Welcome to my world Luce. You'll get used to it. The best way to deal with it is to just go along with Erza and it'll go away soon enough. Or offer her strawberry cake. If it's Mira, talk about babies…gets her teary every time."

"I still kinda want to run away though. I don't wanna think about china patterns at the moment… I'd rather be home."

He gave her a look, one that she was so used to as if he was trying to stare into her soul or something equally amazing. "You sure Luce? You okay?"

She gave a tiny yawn as an answer, trying but failing to keep unseen behind a hand. "I'm alright. Just wanna curl up and go to sleep beside my Dragon."

Natsu didn't need to be told twice. His wife wanted to go home – their home – and he was all too happy to oblige. So he picked her up caveman style, to which she seemed a bit perturbed about being hauled about like a sack of potatoes if her fists pummeling his back was any indication, but he didn't care and with a final salute and a smile he darted out of the bar cackling at the way she shrieked.

He tucked his snoring wife under the covers on their bed – seriously, the woman made growling bears sound quiet – shot off a placating text to Erza about sending Lucy on a shopping spree with the woman tomorrow, when she demanded to know where the future bride was.

He fell asleep to thoughts about what he would ask Lucy to do seeing as she lost their little bet tonight. She had yet to model those white panties for him as well. Suddenly, a horny light bulb moment crashed into his brain.

Natsu was thinking slutty lingerie.

He was also definitely thinking lace, and it _had_ to be red.

* * *

 **-ooo-**

* * *

In the early moment between dawn and we-have-to-get-up-cause-the-sun-is-stupid-bright, found Lucy splayed over Natsu's prone form on their shared bed. They were only in their underwear, but it felt natural and easy.

The blonde was like a barnacle, stuck to his front while he gently pushed his hands through her hair. But he didn't mind. There weren't peaceful moments like these when he was younger, or even just a full year ago.

So he relished in their body heat, and the way her shoulders curved gently into her neck and the shadows that played across her cheekbones when her amber eyes were half-closed in contentment.

She was watching her own fingers drift and slide over the skin of his arm, all the way to his wrist and back to his shoulder again. It didn't take long for him to figure out she was tracing his tattoo, the Dragon that she was so fond of. It was his favourite too, so he could understand. He especially loved that she had given him a nickname because of it, he hadn't ever had one that wasn't an insult before.

Lucy was the one who broke the stillness of that morning, not knowing that she wouldn't have a moment to herself for practically the next two days straight. "Why a Dragon Natsu?"

"Cause they're awesome?" He scoffed, almost as if she should know the answer to her ridiculous question.

"Yes. I know. But a tattoo means something to people. I think this one means a lot to you."

He gulped a little as memories made their way into the foreground of his mind. "You're right." He whispered the words as if something would break if he spoke too loudly. "It does mean something. I got him for my father."

"You remember him?"

"Of course. Igneel. His hair was so red, like flames and his eyes were always so sharp and cunning. But I know he loved me. Before…"

She raised her head at his hesitance. "Natsu. You don't—"

He stopped her with a kiss to her forehead. "I know. Thanks…but I know I should talk about it to someone, and you're my wife." A small cheeky grin spread across his face for a moment. "You deserve to know everything about me."

 _No secrets. Nothing between them. Not even ghosts._

"Alright." So she waited patiently for him to continue, and he did after he collected his thoughts and pulled her body closer to him. Either for comfort or stability, she didn't know, possibly both, but that was alright because she could be his anchor, his rock if he needed.

"I lived in Seven like I told you before until Gramps found me and my brother on the streets. I was fighting some older kids, but what he didn't know was that I was homeless at the time, and we were fighting over food that I had stolen. They wanted it, but I went through the trouble of finding it, but that's the way it worked. The strong picked on the weak, so I had to become strong before my time. We all had too. Poverty and hungry ran rampant through that country from a plague ten years before. It still affected us, even then. Before all that though, there was Igneel. He was amazing Luce. I wish you could have met him, I know you would have loved him. We all lived together, loved each other, and he was the best dad anyone could ask for. We didn't have a lot from what I can remember, but what we had was enough. Then, all I can remember was fire and flames. Igneel got me and Zeref out, but he didn't make it. He was fine one minute, then…not." Natsu's throat tried to work around the dry lump that formed, but it was a full minute before he could go on.

"The authorities said it was the smoke he inhaled and not the flames, and sent Zeref and me to a foster home. The woman who ran it was…cruel. She would take the stipend from the government, then abandon the children outside without shelter or food, telling us that we had nowhere else to go so that we should just be thankful for what she did…so…my brother and I ran away, to an abandoned part of the city and set up a makeshift home."

Lucy squeezed his hand. "You still love him don't you?"

Natsu closed his eyes against the sun. "I can't help it. He's my brother. He kept me alive for a solid two years and had my back the whole time until Gramps came."

"I don't think it's wrong that you do Natsu. It just is. I still love my father."

He nodded, his heart swelling with love for the woman who _understood him_.

"We didn't have anything after that, just each other me and Zeref. And when Gramps found me and told me he saw something that he wanted to cultivate…I jumped at the chance to have someone or something to love again like a father. Zeref…was either too old or too bitter or something like that to really come to love any of us in a conventional sense. He built Tartaros from the ground up and become a terrorist instead. I didn't tell ERA the whole truth when they interrogated me after the initial bombing. I knew why Zeref created everything and why he did everything he did."

"…why?"

"Because he said he loved me and wanted to keep my safe. How messed up is that?"

"It's…strange, but not uncommon. Lots of people do bad things with good intentions. I know my father only wants me to be taken care of for the rest of my life so that when he's gone I'll be fine, but it doesn't mean it's the right thing to do."

Natsu burrowed deeper into his pillow and tugged his wife closer until there was no space left between them. "I know."

"So…the Dragon? Why—"

"—is it covered in flames? Shouldn't I be afraid of fire? Simple. Igneel saved me from them, so I'll always love him for that, but even when I was so young and so terrified then, all I could think about was how my father looked like a mighty Fire Dragon when he pulled us out. So, I grew to love fire – probably more than I should – but it's calming. It's my last memory of Igneel, and it makes me think of him."

"Did you name him Igneel?"

Natsu laughed and dropped his chin on the top of her head, drawing on her strength for a moment. "No. His name is Atlas Flame. He's like an uncle I never had."

Lucy reached up and swiped at the tears on his cheeks, her eyes tender but understanding and not saying one word about it.

"I love your tattoos Natsu. I've always wanted one. Should I get one?"

He nodded, pleased with the change of topic. It was a bit disconcerting having someone that wasn't related by blood knowing absolutely everything about him. His childhood and his father included. But if it had to be anyone, it would always be Lucy.

"What do you think I should get?"

And for the moment, they were wrapped in happiness once more as they decided what tattoo Lucy should get in the future.

(Two months from then, she would decide on a line of black stars down her spine, from her shoulders to her tail bone. Natsu would come to love how she sighed low and deep when he kissed every single one.)

* * *

 **-ooo-**

* * *

After the bliss that was their morning, neither could have anticipated the next two days and how it all would unfurl.

And it started when Erza, in all her scarlet glory, ripped open their bedroom door to find Lucy and Natsu entangled in one another on their bed, chatting and laughing like they had no cares in the world.

But there were cares to be had. And the first one was the fact that there was shopping to be done…and by the quick glance over the scant amount of clothing Lucy had hung in the wardrobe…a lot of shopping. She would need reinforcements.

A startled squawk came from the pink-haired man who promptly hissed her name like some big…annoyed…lizard or snake or something and pulled a sheet over his barely clothed wife, bundling her up until she looked like a swaddled babe. For a moment, Erza could see how amazing Natsu would be as a father and felt a prick of guilt at the insinuations she had made the night before.

But no matter, she could apologise later.

Shopping – and cake – would always come first.

"What the hell Erza! You can't just—"

"I can and I will when there is clothing on the line (here, the pun was entirely unintended and ignored) and I have come to rescue Lucy from this…terrible fate." She gestured with her hands in the general direction of the sad little wardrobe.

"Good morning Erza! I'll be down in just a minute and get some coffee and breakfast ready so that we can get a head start on the day!" Erza nodded, slightly baffled at how Natsu had come across this little ray of sunshine in his travels, but that could be thought of at another time.

Perhaps Lucy would make pancakes if she asked. "Good morning Lucy. I'll wait in your kitchen. Please don't rush too much."

She caught the affronted, ruffled-feathers look on Natsu's face and stifled a laugh. The poor boy looked clueless. Hopefully, Lucy would sort him out.

With a single nod, she backed out the open door and made her way down towards the kitchen like she said she would, whipping her lacrima com out and speed dialling Mira as fast as possible. "Demon, assemble the troops and meet us in one hour at Daybreak outlet mall. We have _a lot_ of work to do."

* * *

 **-ooo-**

* * *

After that initial fright of seeing Erza in his bedroom – he reminded himself that it could have been worse, she could have interrupted something much more intimate – Natsu spent the next five hours at Fairy Tail, sparring with Black Steel – Levy was with the other woman on their shopping spree with Lucy apparently – and then the next three in Changeling's when Lis opened the doors since Mira was away as well.

He had told Lucy what he wanted for the bet.

Lacy. Red. Lingerie. And he couldn't wait to see her in it. She was enthusiastic about his idea to the point where she seemed more excited about it than even him, but she just brushed off his questions when asked to say that no one had ever _wanted_ to see her in something that they requested.

His head had been in the clouds all day, filled with fantasies of strip teases and creamy skin and flashing amber eyes filled with lust. He was so thankful that Gajeel had been off his game as well, surreptitiously glancing at his phone every few minutes.

Apparently, his Shrimp's due date had passed two days ago and he was just waiting for the call that she had gone into labour. In all honesty, Natsu was waiting for it too. Gajeel was like a cousin to him – not that he would ever say that out loud, ever – and wanted to be there when his niece or nephew was born.

So all around, they just punched each other half-heartedly then agreed to meet all the guys at the bar for a pint to brood and mope surrounded by their brethren that would never admit that they missed their girls.

Except for Bickslow, whose girl was still there serving drinks – seriously were him and Lis going out or what? – Which made them super jealous and pouty to the point of Natsu stuffing his face with at least three dozen spicy chicken wings to pass the time.

It was nearing eight in the evening when the doors of the bar had swung open forcefully, that it was either someone who didn't give a shit about the place or who they knew hung out here on a daily basis, or it was just Erza again forgetting about her strength.

Apparently, it was the former.

Eight – Natsu counted while annoyance and anger simmered in his blood – ERA knights sauntered into the bar like they owned the place with the cockiest shit eating grins plastered on their faces as if they were all cats that got the canary. It made Laxus' smirks look like he was smiling pleasantly.

And then the ninth of their party decided to join them and Natsu knew instantly what this was about.

Fucking Lahar, followed up by his partner or servant or whatever named Doranbolt. Natsu knew of the second man only by reputation and understood that he was a fair and reasonable person.

Lahar walked up right to Natsu's table and dropped into the seat opposite him that had held Gray up until the doors had busted open. Hopefully, the ice-princess was sending an SOS to Mira and the girls, it was her establishment after all.

"What the fuck are you doing in here Lahar?"

"Good evening Dragneel." Natsu flinched at the name. Even after all these years, he still couldn't shake the feeling that when Lahar said that word he was mocking him for having the same blood as a known terrorist. "I think you know exactly why we're here."

"Just spit it out. I haven't got all day. Very important people to talk to and all that." And it wasn't a lie. Natsu did have important people to chat with, especially his wife. And he wanted to peek in her bags for her special present she was supposed to buy today. He _did not_ want to be here dealing with ERA instead.

He also wanted this done with before she came back, he didn't want ERA to know Lucy at all, she was not to be roped into his problems like that, even if she would help him. He wanted to protect her from scrutiny, and like a good husband, he would shield her always. Even if it was from prying eyes and not a physical attack.

"Your visa expired this morning at midnight. Therefore, you are here as an illegal alien and will be deported back to Seven where you belong. Hopefully, we can find the bastard that is your brother and ship him back as well. Fiore doesn't want you here any longer Dragneel." The sneer was evident as well as the condescending tone.

Natsu could take a lot of shit, but he hated when people thought that he was beneath them in some way. It made him feel small and helpless, just like he did when he was all alone in Seven after Igneel had passed.

But, he had to remember, he wasn't alone any longer.

A blur of blonde blocked off the next thing Natsu wanted to say – it was full of unsavoury insults and had the word 'twatwaffle' thrown in twice for good measure – and an enraged voice cut him off mid breath.

"Who the fuck do you think you are? You have no right to speak to my husband like that!"

* * *

 **-ooo-**

* * *

Lucy had been having a wonderful day with the girls, buying some nice clothing, stopping into an appliance store to buy and have delivered a full decked out barbeque to her new home, then lunch with a single blended alcoholic drink. Erza had dragged her to her favourite adult shop when they were done and she had picked out something she hoped Natsu would like to see on her...and off of her if the night went her way.

But now...after they had just sat down to dinner at a wonderfully quaint diner just down the street, Mira had received a text on her lacrima from Gray of all people as a plea for them to come to the bar quickly because something was happening. Luckily they were close, so they had ditched the dinner plans and sprinted - and in Levy's case, waddled - back to the bar and grill as fast as possible to find that ten ERA knights surrounded a single table with her pink-haired husband sitting on the edge of his seat, looking like he was ready to run.

She hated that look on him.

So Lucy had decided to speak up in a way that would most likely land her in jail by morning, but she didn't care. They had absolutely no right to even look at Natsu like that. He was amazing and so kind and gentle and sweet and sexy and just...Natsu. He had been through more things in his childhood than most and still, he had put her needs in front of hers, brought her into his life, gave her a home and friends and family and supported her when she told off her own father.

He was everything to her, and they wanted to send him away?

Over her _very dead body_.

Natsu had never been more thankful that he had married that spitfire with a heart of damn gold in an impulsive move a week ago, then right at that moment. She saved his ass daily and made him feel so much more accepted. She wanted him to stay here with his family in Fiore, wanted him to stay here with her, so she was speaking on his behalf.

Rudely, and with a matching sneer on her face that looked so damn sexy he could hardly contain himself.

"Your husband?" Damn right he was her husband! Fucking proud of that too! But he let Lucy take the wheel on this one as well, with his luck, he would probably just punch Lahar in the face and then go to jail for the rest of his life or something. He wasn't ashamed to say that she was just so much better at this talking thing that he was. But if she ever needed him to fight for her, he would be there in an instant.

It's what he did best.

Lucy flashed her wedding band on her left finger proudly, as if it was the most beautiful thing in the world. "Yes. Natsu's my fucking husband, you idiot. Do I need to repeat myself?"

Natsu died in all the best ways that day when Lucy insulted ERA on his behalf, and he didn't even care if he got arrested anymore. Because she was amazing and she was all his.

* * *

 **Next: Intertwined**

 **Things are about to get _a little_ cray cray. Hope you guys are ready for the unofficial ending...I know I'm not. Shorties abound, Black Steel loses his head, red lingerie and some dirty dirty times...(yay) Next chapter rated M...Natsu just cannot resist Lucy (not that he's actually trying.)**

 **Stay Crazy,**

 **LoadedEel**


	8. Intertwined

All Rights to Hiro Mashima

 **My sweet precious special cupcakes.**

 **It is that time again, the end of NaLu week (yes, I realise that my days were late but shush) and I know we all would love some more, but alas, it has come to a close.**

 **HOWEVER! I have been messaged by more than one person that they would like this story to keep going after the days are over, and you know what?**

 **I THINK I WILL! Cause that sounds amazing. It was even suggested that I should go ahead with the other prompts from earlier years and that is even more amazing.**

 **SO! My precious cupcakes. This is not the end…it's barely the beginning… :3**

BEWARE! RATE M! HORNY DRAGON MEN AND SEXY SEXY TIMES! (also little shorties and cute fluffiness)

* * *

 **Intertwined**

 _In which Lucy takes fucking charge, their family grows a little bigger, and Natsu just wants to save water._

* * *

This…

This was not how she wanted her night to go.

Not at all.

She had gone out with friends (friends!) shopping and eating and laughing and having fun for the first time in what felt like a lifetime, buying clothes and trying on outfits, listening to Mira and Erza critique while Levy went on and on about all the books she would lend Lucy.

Then she had slipped away at dinner, ripped open a very special bag that held the most perfect deep red body suit that was made _entirely_ out of silk and lace and left little to the imagination. Lucy threw her regular clothes over top and the entire ensemble made her feel…more powerful, amazing, sexy…as if she had some secret that gave her access to the entire universe.

Which she did.

The secret being lingerie, and the universe being Natsu's penis.

But now…

She was just… _uncomfortable._ And a bit itchy in her crotch area from being so wet and ready at the thought of her husband and tonight and sex.

Lucy had wanted to come back to the bar with the girls, bat her eyelashes and flirt with Natsu, then drag him to the bathroom or back alley or all the way back home and then seduce the pants off her husband like she had been wanting to do for days.

Their little exploration of each other might have made the waiting easier, but it didn't keep the hunger and need and _want_ from rolling in her stomach at random times of the day. The worst was at night when there was no reason not to, but they had both been so tired.

Tonight was supposed to be free from distractions.

Then, incoming douche nozzle named Lahar followed by his henchmen, and here Lucy was.

Livid that someone would have the fucking audacity to derail her sex plans, eyes blazing and feeling a little too strange and exposed standing here with sexy underwear on berating another grown man on _manners_.

Mavis, what had the world come to?

And the weirdest part was _no one knew that she was wearing the sexiest lingerie she had ever seen just under her shirt and shorts combo._ It was exhilarating, but also…annoying because the one person who should be appreciating the tiny bow between her breasts or how the colour looked against her pale skin was currently sitting behind her with the threat of deportation hanging over his head.

"You're husband?"

Lucy bristled, her face a mask of stone. _How fucking dare he…_

(Unbeknownst to her, Erza was watching the proceedings with a feeling of pride well in her heart. She had found a kindred spirit that would be able to keep these jokers in her family in line for the most part. Especially Natsu. In the coming months, this face was known to come immediately before Lucy laid down the law and dubbed 'Scary Lucy'. It was never said to her face though, no one was _that_ stupid.)

"Yes. Natsu's my fucking husband you idiot. Do I need to repeat myself?" Did this _Lahar_ person think that Natsu wasn't capable of being a husband? Or of loving someone? Or someone loving him because of his brother?

 _Stupid idiot. I bet he has a tiny penis and all this bravado was just bluster to overcompensate for something. Him and his stupid little top-knot-bun-thing._ (She had nothing against the hair style, but this guy was just so put together and stiff that she had nothing else to be petty about.)

"I don't believe you." The ERA leader sniffed imperiously. "I think you're lying to cover his ass and we could take you in for obstruction of justice." He squinted at her. "Who even are you? I've never seen you with Natsu before."

Before she could even think about any of the repercussions, she snarled at the stupid man with the stupid bun-thing in his hair. "My name is Lucy Ashley Dragneel, formally _Heartfilia_. And I am not lying."

Doranbolt (even though Lucy didn't know his name at the time) jolted when he learned her name, while Lahar seemed unaffected. Which was fine with her. She hated dropping her last name and she hated what it made people think of her, how they would act differently just because she was part of the 'elite' in this world.

A modicum of respect flitted through her mind for Lahar, seeing as he thought the law was nonnegotiable no matter what her last name used to be.

And then he lost that respect with his next sentence. _The jackass_.

She could feel her blood literally _boil_ in her veins when the man tacked on a sneer to his next words, which prompted some of his little lackeys to let out moronic guffaws. "Do you even know what his brother did? Who he is?"

Oh.

 _Oh._

That was fucking it! Natsu had never done anything like his brother, been an upstanding member of society, gave her more love than she deserved, had a wonderful family and amazing life here in Fiore with thousands upon thousands of fans, but Lahar had just _decided_ that he was like the dirt beneath his boots.

She had seen that expression on many men in her life before she had run from her gilded prison. The men that had wanted her father's money and thought she was just a means to an end, because she was a _woman_.

This situation was different, but the enmity was the same. One party had decided that they was better than the other because they had the might of the law behind them.

 _How…pitiful._

"Cana," She snarled and was so proud to see both Lahar and Doranbolt (that man had yet to say a thing, just silently watching and waiting, funnily enough it didn't feel like he was judging) flinch a bit, it felt immensely gratifying that her anger and fear over the whole situation had caused them a little discomfort. "Hand me my purse."

Erza nodded with a small smile. Lucy was definitely her new best friend.

Lucy could now feel cold tendrils of fear shoot through her heart. If something happened to Natsu and he was sent back to Seven…or Gods forbid prison, would she be allowed to go with him back to his homeland? Would she be able to stay with the one man that had gone above and beyond to know that she was loved? Would they send her back to her father and that cold empty house to be married off once again? Those were selfish thoughts, but ones she couldn't shake no matter what she did.

Truthfully, she was anxious and terrified that she would be left with nothing once again, the family she had just found would be ripped from her grasp and she would be shut out. Sent back to a world full of dresses and facades and pinchy shoes where men ruled all and she was nothing but a pretty doll to be traded back and forth.

The Knights silently watched as Lucy pulled out the proof she would need to support the truth. She slapped the file folder filled with the picture, licence and certificate – both signed and dated by Natsu and her – in front of Lahar. Lucy eyed the momentarily stunned Captain, shoved the papers until they were right under his nose, plopped herself down into Natsu's lap and heaved a great breath.

Strong warm arms, covered with tattoos and memories curled around her and kept her grounded. Her anger and fear and annoyance drifted away until she was only filled with steely determination, her brown eyes filled with ice.

"This can't be real. Fake…copied…counterfeit. _Something!_ " Lahar had his glasses raised to squint suspiciously at the papers.

Lucy just ignored him, choosing silence over arguing.

Finally, Natsu spoke up with none of the usual joy in his voice. He just sounded so incredibly done with all of this. Tired and slightly defeated. "It's real. All of it. I married Lucy Ashley Heartfilia in the chapel on the second floor of Galuna Island Casino. Cana was our witness." The chestnut-haired beauty waved her beer glass from Natsu's other side, where she had plopped down after bringing Lucy's purse over. "This is the proof you need. So… _back the fuck off_."

Lucy's face twisted into a smirk. There he was, her Dragon. Full of fire and flames and righteous anger.

"Is that all you have to say for yourself Dragneel? Or will you let your _wife_ speak for you instead."

Lucy almost lost it then, but Natsu's arms tightened their hold on her waist to prevent her from flinging her body over the table top and kicking the absolute shit out of Lahar's face. He even made the word 'wife' sound like dirt, like it was obscene, and she hated that fact. There was nothing to hide and she was proud of the name that she had now. "HOW FUCKING DARE YOU—"

Natsu cut her off by covering her mouth with one of his hands. Yes he loved her so much and he enjoyed her fiery side, but insulting the one person who could literally put her in lock up for a while was not the way he wanted tonight to go.

He watched the dark scowls of his family and friends become even deeper. Laxus in particular looked downright murderous. They might fight and bicker with each other, call each other names and what not, but it was all in good fun, the brawls were to release tension.

This…this was not right and needed to be stopped.

Before anyone could commit an actual crime and be sent to jail for defending Natsu's honour – namely Lucy at the moment who was still squirming in Natsu's lap, trying in vain to get her hands on that stupid prick of a man who insulted her husband's worth – Natsu raised his voice above the chatter. "My _wife_ just gave you the proof you wanted, everything you need is in that folder. I'm holding her down because I don't want her to go to jail at the moment, but if you say one more sexist thing I will let her go and laugh while she _puts her foot so far up your ass you'll cough up her shoe._ So…back the fuck off Lahar."

Mira glided around her gleaming bar to stand sweetly in front of the table, a demented smile on her face and voice sickly sweet like poisoned honey. "Gentlemen, I believe it is time to remove yourselves from my establishment. You are creating a scene and would like you to leave."

"Wait—"

" _NOW_!" Demonic Mira was surfacing, Lahar was pushing her past her limit and that was not easily done. She kept herself closely in check, but if her bar or her family was in jeopardy, she would step up to the plate every single time.

Dumbfounded and terrified, Lahar shot up out of his seat his chair falling over behind him. He gave it no mind as he stalked off towards the door, leaving a "We'll be watching you closely Mr Dragneel" as a parting gift, to remind him of just who he was, apparently.

The door swung shut behind the last Knight, but not before Doranbolt gave a single nod. Either acknowledging the fighter, or in approval at how the situation was handled by his wife. The rest of the Knights followed silently after them.

Natsu slumped back in his seat, collapsing boneless around the woman still in his lap. "Thank Mavis that's over and done with. I never want to see him or his stupid hairstyle again."

Lucy snorted and carded her hand through his pink hair, ruffling it slightly. "Tch, I know. It was the only thing I could think of to make fun of him. He was just so…straight arrow, not a hair out of place. I bet he plans out all his bowel movements down to the minute too."

Natsu finally laughed, gaining back some of his usual fiery personality. "You're the best Luce." He flagged down Mira and held up an empty plate to signify his hunger. "I'm starving after that crappy confrontation."

Lucy held up two fingers as Mira came around to collect the dirty dish. "I know I need a drink." She eyed Cana who was currently locked in a shot competition with some non-regulars that didn't know that the busty woman could drink them all under the table. "Cana looks preoccupied enough to not challenge us again. I need a scotch, make it a double. Neat please."

"Me too Mira. After the night we've had, I think we deserve it. Oh, and two orders your spicy chicken wings."

"Coming right up you two. It's on the house tonight. Call it a belated wedding present…"

"Thanks Mira!"

As the Demon walked away waving off their thanks and giggling at their cuteness, Lucy laid her head back on Natsu's shoulder, rubbing circles on his forearms with her fingers. He kissed her neck lightly. "Thank you Princess, for speaking up for me. You could've been arrested for that if Lahar wasn't so big on rules and justice. Even if he is a pig."

She shrugged, unbothered. It was strange, she didn't really care if she had been sent away for something like that. Because what she had said was the truth and they had undeniable proof. She was Natsu's wife, sickness and in health, good times and bad. "What kind of wife would be if I left my husband high and dry?"

"A pretty shitty one I guess."

"Exactly."

He nosed her ear, skimming the shell and placing gentle kiss on her tender skin. Ready to move on with his life. A giddy sort of satisfaction sat in his stomach at the thought that he had a wife and he was staying _here_ in Fiore with her. The future stretching on before them without a looming shadow of uncertainty clouding the horizon. "So, Luce. How was… _shopping_."

She shuddered, glad for the change of subject. Their night could go back on track, she still had time to seduce herself into Natsu's form fitting jeans and then some. She could salvage this. And by the way his hands were starting to wander up her arms and skimming the length of her torso…he was thinking along the same lines as her.

In Natsu's defense, he admired strong women, and he loved it when Lucy got all fired up.

" _Shopping_ was wonderful. I can't wait to show you all the pretty clothes I bought Natsu. I'm sure you'll… _enjoy_ a certain piece I got."

His eyes lit up with giddy anticipation, lust swirling in those emerald depths. His voice lowered and growled out into something so deep that it resonated through Lucy's chest. Such a sexy growl. "Can I take a peek Luce?" He eyed the bags she had dropped when she had confronted the Captain, trying to pick out the one that held his present.

Her lips turned up into a sultry smirk. "Oh. Natsu. It's not in those bags there. I couldn't have you see it for the first time without me _in it_."

Realisation dawned on him and his face broke into a look of awe. He lowered his voice until it was nothing but whisper, just something intimate for only her to hear. "Are you _wearing_ it Princess?"

Lust jumped and slid over her skin, raising goosebumps in its wake as his hands gripped her hips in a tight hold. She nodded and placed a single, very chaste lingering kiss to his lips.

There wasn't a single thought to whether or not they were making a display in front of their family and friends. No embarrassment about the scene they were creating. Nothing. Because it was only Natsu and Lucy in their own little perverted sexy world.

Natsu nuzzled his nose into her hair, shielding his face behind a curtain of gold, nipping the sensitive lobe of her ear harshly, then kissing it softly in apology. She had to actively clamp her mouth shut to keep the moan in her throat that desperately wanted to come out. A little gasp escaped though, and it spurred Natsu on, letting him know that he was indeed driving her up a wall and down the other side.

"Such a naughty Princess."

She shivered, liquid heat pooling and swirling low between her legs.

Mother of Mavis, he _knew_ what words did to her! That bastard, using his sly tricks in public. But, she knew that she wasn't the only one affected by their little game. She could feel _everything_ about him getting hard and so, _so_ hot caught in his pants and rubbing so deliciously on her ass.

She hoped that her face wasn't too red, wasn't too obvious that her breathing that dwindled down to harsh staccato breaths. Lucy was so turned on that a quicky in a bathroom stall sounded amazing right about now.

Why hadn't they left yet? She couldn't remember, Natsu's lips and tongue and teeth scraping against the sensitive skin of her neck – still shielded behind her hair – was making her mind fuzzy.

He growled once most as she squirmed on his lap, crashing his lips onto hers in a fiery kiss that pushed all rational thought out their minds. He ripped his mouth off hers just as quickly, panting with blazing heat in his eyes. "Screw the food. We need to get out of here now. I can't hold myself back anymore. _I need you Princess._ "

Lucy was in complete agreement, but the fates were not on her side this time. As they were gathering up all her belongings and trying to slip out of the bar and away from the prying eyes of the patrons so that she could ride her Dragon all night long, an exclamation split the air.

One of pain and agony.

Then the sound of a lot of falling liquid, as if someone had spilt a glass of water on the floor.

Lust temporarily abated allowing for confusion and trepidation to push through the haze, Natsu parted the gathering crowd to find a cringing Levy holding her extended belly while squeezing the life out of Gajeel's hand, her pants dark and wet. "Damn Lev, you have an accident?"

Lucy wanted to smack her husband, sometimes he was just such an idiot. She still loved him, but damn. "Natsu! She didn't pee herself! The baby's coming!"

Natsu had the wherewithal to look embarrassed and tuck himself into his scarf, cheeks ablaze. "I knew that."

"Course you did, but that's not important right now because Gajeel looks like he's about to faint and Levy's about to push her baby out onto the floor." Lucy hissed as silently as possible to not make matters worse. But they were already pretty bad, so it didn't really matter.

"Fuck! This fucking hurts! I BLAME YOU, YOU STUPID WALKING TAKLE BOX!"

It was a bit surreal to hear something so crass come out of the usually optimistic woman's mouth, but the pain must have been crazy for her to resort to swearing. But hey, her uterus was committing heinous crimes against her, so she was allowed to be a little testy.

Lucy could see that Gajeel, for all his blustering and intimidation tactics, was actually terrified. He had locked up and was opening and closing his mouth silently like some sort of fish while all the others either mopped up the mess or flitted around the group like overprotective butterflies. His one hand was going red as Levy gripped it so hard they could practically hear the tendons groan and snap, while his face was completely white.

No one knew what to do. Alzac and Bisca weren't here and they were the only couple with a young child at he moment.

So, Lucy decided to take charge…even if that made her heart stutter and her stomach drop her as well. This baby was coming whether she liked it or not and Levy needed to get to the hospital.

A bar wasn't sterile and there were too many people around. This was definitely not the ideal place for her to give birth.

"Natsu, Gray! Calm down Gajeel and get Levy's coat. Lisanna, call the hospital and tell them we're coming. You there! Orange hair with the stupid little ponytail! (His name was Jet and she would find out later that he was one of Levy's best friends from childhood, which she would apologize later for the mean hair comment, she was just _hating_ on that particular style at the moment) Flag down a taxi." She whirled around while Natsu planted a kiss to her forehead, then went to smack some sense into the father-to-be, letting Levy hold onto her hands securely.

Damn did she need to hold so tight? Holy Mother of Mavis she had some strength to her.

Lucy cringed lightly, wondering if her hands were suddenly broken and feeling a bit sympathetic to Gajeel. "Come on Levy. Let's get going alright? Time to meet your baby eh?"

Levy could only nod and laugh with tears in her eyes. She could feel another contraction coming and _goddamn_ was it painful. "Yah. Okay. What about Gaj? I need him there. He's got to be there."

She hadn't known Lucy for all that long, but the bond they had immediately could only mean they were meant to be best friends for life. Levy trusted the blonde to do everything she could for her while her body was rebelling against her.

"He'll meet us there Levy. Right now the only important thing in you and your baby okay. He'll be there I promise."

"Okay…okay let's go. I can do this."

"That's the spirit. Follow me and breathe deeply okay?"

Levy nodded and they started for the door.

"We'll meet you there!" The cry from Lucy as she rushed out the door fell on many ears who were scrambling to get their coats and drain the last of their drinks. The waiting room was going to be filled to capacity tonight, everyone silently vowing to stay with Levy for as long as she was in labour. A new little addition to their family was coming and they wanted to greet him as soon as possible. Laxus and his Grandfather would contact all those who weren't present and catch up to them, while Mira left the bar in the capable hands of Kinana.

Natsu threw the double down his throat that Mira had placed on his table while him and Lucy had been…occupied and handed the second one to Gajeel, who belted it back like it was water, grimacing at the taste.

"You ready man?" Natsu shook his head to rid himself of the burn from the alcohol. Damn that shit was strong.

"I don't have a fucking choice. Let's just get there. Shrimp needs me." His eyes were wild and scared, but he was determined. "I'm going to be a father and the baby _needs me there._ "

Natsu clapped his friends back silently happy about the man's determination even though he looked down right scared and a little sick, and rushed through the crowd to hail a taxi. He gulped down the rising nausea and rolled his eyes. The things he would do for his family…

* * *

 **-ooo-**

* * *

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHRRGGGGGGG!"

The waiting room in the hospital closest to were Levy was currently trying to push something equivalent to a pot roast through nostril, was filled to capacity, and then some.

There were so many people that most had to double up in the chairs, which was fine for Natsu because that meant that he got to hold Lucy more. Some had to lean against the wall or squat on the floor.

That was until Levy's Hulk-out screams started to filter down the hallway to their ears, making them cringe and wince in sympathy. It prompted Lucy to jump up and start pacing like a caged animal. A caged animal hiding sinfully amazing things under her clothes.

Natsu quietly lamented his lost night with his wife (dammit his luck sucked ass) but he knew that Levy and the baby came first. That didn't stop him from fantasizing about just what Lucy looked like in lingerie. He knew it was red. And he knew it was sexy. But that was it, and it was slowly killing him.

But she just kept pacing and walking around in a circle.

She started three and a half hours ago, four hours after they had all arrived in a flurry of activity and worry. But now they were stalled. Or…at least Levy was.

Everyone was getting antsy, and tired, and a bit grumpy from not being able to rest or sleep properly. But no one complained after Erik had whined about needing something to do because it was so boring. Erza, in all her glory, and knocked him out with a simple right hook and not a peep was spoken after that in a way of complaint.

They had all left Erik to his own devices on the floor and simply ignored his prone form. He should have known better with Erza around. He awoke with a headache a couple hours later, but he was just fine. And silent.

After all, Levy and by proxy, Gajeel had it much…much worse.

"Luce." Natsu had been trying to get his wife to calm down for the better part of twenty minutes, but he quickly figured out that she was an empathetic person. So, while her friend was in pain she was uncomfortable and fidgety.

"Lucy. Come here."

She shot him a look that screamed "what the fuck! I'm busy! Can't you see I'm doing something important here?" But he really didn't care because her pacing was starting to make _him_ anxious and nervous and he desperately wanted to hug her. It had nothing to do with the fact that he wanted her to just… _sit still_.

"Princess, _please_." And now he had resorted to begging. Gray was never going to let him live this down. (If the snort from the man in question was anything to go by) But whatever, that Ice-Princess didn't even have a girlfriend and he had a wife. So he was winning in the grand scheme of things and could afford to beg a bit.

With a shake of her head, Lucy continued to wear a path down in the bland white linoleum.

So, Natsu sent a quick prayer up to the Gods then reached out and snagged his stubborn little wife and caged her on his lap.

She squirmed.

He held her tighter.

She pouted.

He kissed her cheek.

"Natsu…" Her voice was low in warning, but he didn't care. And he didn't care that most of his family was shooting them amused looks. To them, this was an adorable exchange. They didn't know that Lucy was one step away from kicking his balls clean across Fiore, never to be seen again.

And he really wanted kids, so that wasn't an option.

"Luce. You've got to calm down and save your energy. You don't wanna be asleep when Levy's done do you?"

Another scream, this one higher pitched rent the air, but it didn't sound the same as Levy. Perhaps it was another person having a baby. (No one would know except the doctor, two nurses and Levy that it was actually Gajeel who screamed when his fiancée broke two bones in his hand) Everyone cringed in tandem and mentally told themselves to be completely ready before becoming pregnant, or getting someone pregnant. While Levy was doing all the hard work, it was mentally exhausting listening to one of their closest friends in pain.

"No. But…what if she's not okay Natsu? I just…I – I only just found you all…"

He knew exactly how she felt. She wasn't ready to lose anyone, and neither was he. Natsu bundled her up in his arms and brushed her bangs away from her forehead, tucking her under his chin. She curled up into a little ball and fit herself perfectly against him. "I know. But our bookworm is made of the toughest shit out there. How do you think she puts up with Gajeel all the time? The guys basically a giant dick twenty-four-seven. She'll be fine."

Lucy nodded and snuggled closer.

Twenty minutes later, light snores drifted up to his ears and those around Natsu and Lucy couldn't help but be amazed that she had fallen asleep with all the raucous around her. From Levy's high pitched blood-curdling screams, to just the noise of the MMA fighters and the regulars from the bar chatting and arguing around them, there was a great deal of sound.

Natsu smirked. Of course, she fell asleep, and she was _snoring again_. Now he had undeniable proof about it and best of all…witnesses. She couldn't deny it any longer.

At least she wasn't pacing anymore.

* * *

 **-ooo-**

* * *

Fourteen hours and thirty-six minutes into labour and Levy popped out a very healthy baby boy – who was a little roll of chub, but super adorable in his own right – and was almost a spitting image of his father, with blue eyes, wild and crazy ebony hair that featured not one, but two spectacular cowlicks.

Poor kid.

After the customary show off of the baby, while Levy was zonked out in her bed after being up for so long, the family had filtered out to head home and sleep, vowing to meet everyone later at the bar.

All that were left was Natsu and Lucy, with Gajeel and little Tyler – cute ass name for a cute ass baby. Black Steel was sitting in a chair with his head in his hand – only one hand because he had a broken hand – his eyes closing and jerking awake as he fell asleep over and over again.

Natsu – who had been hesitantly named Godfather, and Erza Godmother – couldn't put the little guy down. He was just so small and cute and damn he wanted one of these so bad.

Lucy could see the sparkle in her husband's eyes, one that desperately wanted a child. She did too, but not right away. So she patted his arm as if to say "later" and Natsu was fine with that. As long as they could talk about it and it could happen in the future, he wouldn't care when it was.

Tyler was sound asleep like his mother and yep…there went his father. "Natsu, come on, let's go home. We can come back later today after everyone gets some sleep."

"But…Luce…he's just so cuuuuteeee…."

"I know. But he's asleep, and I think it's time we go to sleep as well. We've been up for a day and a half already." And she was still wearing the lingerie that she had wanted to show Natsu, and it was getting…a little… _uncomfortable_ to say the least.

"Fine. But we're coming back tonight."

"Alright. That's a good idea actually. I wanna talk to Levy anyways. Maybe I'll bring her a couple of books or something."

Natsu pointed at all the babies in their individual cribs inside the nursery, his nose smashed against the glass like an excited child. "I want one. Do you think anyone would notice if I just…"

"What? Went inside and took a baby?"

"Yah?"

"Yes. They would notice, then you would go to jail and then I would be on my own out here in the big cruel world without my husband to keep me warm at night."

Natsu huffed and scuffed his shoe against the tiles. "You're right. I know you wanna wait Luce. It's just…"

"I know love, you want a family. But you have me? For now right? And you have all our friends at the bar, and you have a little Godson you can spoil within an inch of his life now. You get to be 'cool Uncle Natsu' the guy he comes to for advice and comfort and when he wants to run away and go fishing for a whole week he'll show up on our doorstep." Gods help the world…Natsu was going to give someone advice. He was a massive child at heart…so possibly…little Tyler would benefit from having someone like her husband being there for him.

"'Cool Uncle Natsu' eh? I like the sound of that. Thanks, Princess…you know exactly what to say."

"Don't worry too much about children at the moment. I've always wanted them, you know that, and _stealing one_ isn't in your best interest, even if they are cute."

"I know."

"Will we?"

"Course."

"Promise?"

"I promise, Natsu. I also know that _practising_ will definitely be fun, and you know what they say, practice makes perfect."

His ears had pinked endearingly at that as she had hailed a cab, ready to go back home. But his laugh warmed Lucy from the inside out, glad that she could waylay his fears. She knew that he would be an incredible dad when the time came.

(In the coming years, they would get a lot of practice in, and Natsu would always be all for another round, quoting Lucy's words back at her. The saying would always sound dirty in his ears and never failed to make him think of his wife all spread out on the bed underneath him.)

* * *

 **-ooo-**

* * *

They had fallen into bed and slept for damn near eleven hours.

Natsu, who could have probably slept for another twelve hours and then some, was woken by a huffing Lucy peeling herself out of her clothes that she had worn yesterday. They had passed out completely clothed as sleep was the priority and striping down was just too much work.

Sticky with sweat – but not the good kind – Natsu forced himself from the bed with a groan and sleepy eyes, and slouched off to the bathroom to relieve himself. He was starving and still tired, but he needed to pee goddamn it.

After washing his hands, Natsu peered into the mirror, happy to see that the bags under his eyes weren't the worst he had ever seen on himself. (The winner for that contest had been years prior when Gray had turned twenty one, and the gentlemen had gone on an all day and night bender bar hopping. His hangover had lasted almost a full day after that. The headache alone had probably left him permanently brain damaged.)

He stripped out of his shirt and pants, leaving him standing in the middle of the cool bathroom in only a pair of black boxers, before his tired mind woke up enough to insist on a shower. He reasoned that he would probably wake up faster with a quick blast of cold water to the face. It was a tried and true method perfected in the earlier years of living in Makarov's household when he and Laxus couldn't rouse the pink-haired teenager for school.

The door opened with a slight squeal – he would need to oil that noise soon, if he remembered that is – while his back was turned, and was holy unprepared to have two petite arms wrap around his torso in a tight hug while bare breasts complete with hardened peaks pressed up against the naked skin of his back.

He grunted in surprise – which made Lucy snigger quietly into his back – but he entangled the hand that wasn't busy with the temperature dial with one of her own. She was so warm and soft and was doing wonders to his alertness all on her own if his half-awake member was any indication.

Even if he was tired, he would never get enough of his Lucy. Even last night, he was sure that he could have sucked it up and pleased her before passing out if she had wanted to. Lucy had started snoring as soon as her head had met the pillow so he had seen that as a sign and oozed under the sheets as well, welcoming unconsciousness as his old friend, willing himself not to be awoken unless it was a life of death problem.

And maybe not even then.

But now…he was re-energized, almost fully awake and starting to get all fired up.

"Care to join me Princess? There's always room for two in here. I never did like showering alone you know…"

"I'd love to. I need a shower, and it's _always_ good to save water." Lucy lamented the fact that she hadn't even gotten to show her husband her amazing red lacy undergarments yet, but decided to use those on him tomorrow. Right now, she had a horny Dragon in her arms and she wasn't about to let go.

He twisted in her arms, relishing the feel of her skin sliding against her own. He bent down slightly to place a single kiss on her lips, nothing more than a slight shifting of his own chapped ones over hers. "Of course, I wasn't thinking about anything other than the environment when I asked." He murmured against her mouth, connecting his own to hers again and again as he spoke.

She sighed breathily, unwrapped her arms from around his waist, and gently led him under the spray by his right hand. "Come on then, it's always better when we're together."

They spent a languid twenty minutes – they would have stayed longer had the hot water not gone icy – washing each other, touching and exploring skin with fingers and mouths and tongues. Lucy revelled in the sensation of Natsu washing her hair for her – something that she would ask him for again and again as the man had absolutely magic fingers that she was sure could rid even the most stubborn of headaches – while Natsu just enjoyed the feeling of holding her wet body against his as he massaged down her neck and shoulders. Every so often she would nuzzle her nose into his collarbone and place a little kiss there, close to his heart and he loved every movement she made.

He wrapped her in one of his huge black towels as she hugged him, even when they were standing still and dripping on his bathmat. Lucy had hummed then, a small sound of pleasure as he had systematically dried both of them off – not as well as he usually did, seeing as his wife was still wrapped around his front like a spider monkey – that sent his blood roaring, but not into a usual frenzy that she had elicited time and time again from him.

This was something…different. It was the same in some aspects, but the need to pound her raw against the wall wasn't there.

He wanted to fucking _worship_ her, slowly, all night long, all day. As long as he could. Even if he knew that idea was stupid because no one had that kind of stamina in reality and his life wasn't a porno, it didn't make that idea in her brain go away.

So he would love her like a man like he hadn't had a chance yet to do. He had scoffed at the idea of 'making love' for years, listening to the 'manly' ravings of Elfman and the stories of quickies in back alleys and bathrooms and one-night stands from that Ice Princess.

But now…as Lucy snuggled into his chest and looked up at him with wet hair plastered to the side of her face, make-up long gone and those big amber eyes that had caught his attention the moment he had seen her for the first time, he couldn't even _think_ let alone tell her how much she had done for him. How his life had changed in only a week's time. How many barriers and walls she had shattered and rebuilt in his mind, how just her presence alone had made his empty house into a completely different place, into a home. How he could dream about having a big family and wake up and feel happiness and anxious anticipation instead of longing and slight bitterness as all his friends moved on around him.

But now, he had the makings of his own family, right in his arms. His best friend was his wife and he was almost certain that he was going to wake up from this dream _any day now_ because his good luck had never been that good before.

Maybe…he was due for something good in his life, and she was just a little spit fire of a blonde that liked to kick and took charge and made him spicy food and who his cat loved more than him.

He bundled her up in his arms, smirking at her shocked squawk when he surprised her. She was just too cute and seriously weird, but he wouldn't have her any other way.

Natsu lay against the pillow, propped up against the headboard, legs spread on the sheets with Lucy resting against his torso, her back to his front arms banded around her waist and nose stuffed in her hair. She smelled extra amazing now, all clean and fresh and _so Lucy_ that it made his insides tingle a little.

"Natsu…?" Lucy had reached up and tried to run her hands through his damp hair that _still_ defied all the laws of gravity, but he hand gently pushed her arm down.

"Let me, Luce. _Please_ …" He wanted to her relax and just feel this time. He kissed her neck as she nodded, pleased that she had listened to him and allowed him to do what he wanted to. "I love you, Princess."

 **XXX**

Her reply was cut off by a small shuddering moan before it could get out of her throat as his sharp teeth had tugged on her ear lobe. He placed a wet, hot kiss to her cheek before her head was turned, her eyes slipping shut ready and waiting in excited anticipation for his lips on her own.

The next kiss was staggering in its softness, and built to a heat that felt like Lucy had a warm ember sitting in her stomach. Natsu didn't increase the speed, but kept everything slow, exaggerated each motion of his hands that swept her still wet hair over her shoulder and rubbed every piece of exposed skin.

They had all the time in the world for this, and he knew that.

He had memories, stunted, shattered memories from their first and second times on the night they made the single best decision in their lives and he was more than pleased that she liked it rough, she enjoyed teasing and goading him on, she shuddered when he spoke lewdly in her ear.

But now, in this moment, it wasn't the time for taking her hard and fast as if they would die without the other and the pleasure would be the thing to kill them.

With every kiss and stroke, he poured _every single emotion_ that she made him feel for the very first time.

Devotion.

Adoration.

Belonging.

He let one of his hands trail down from where it had been only moments before teasing her nipple, and felt it circle her navel teasingly, slowly, so damn slowly that she was sure she was going to melt into a puddle of overheated mush before he really did anything to her at all. She whimpered into his mouth, the noise needy enough to make him chuckle softly.

Lucy knew that she wasn't the only one affected – his erection was poking her in the back periodically, as if to remind her that he was there and her body and sounds and everything that she had was keeping him on the brink of sanity – but at the moment, his self-control _far_ outweighed her own. She wanted that hand to keep going down, to push all her buttons at the right moment so that she would go soaring, and to have those magic fingers push in and out of her folds so that she could cry out in relief from all the tension that was coiling in her gut.

Only Natsu could do this to her, and she knew. And the bastard behind her knew it as well. "Shh, Luce. I promise. I'll make you feel _so fucking good_. I promise Princess."

She whined lowly as that traitorous hand – the other one still plucking and pulling at her breast, circling her nipple with light touches that drove her insane – as it traced where her thighs met the junction of her core.

Lucy squirmed letting her legs fall open wider, lewdly inviting him in to _just fucking touch her already_ , but instead the hand around her breast gripped tighter for a moment and he hissed and panted into her ear. "Don't move Princess. I want to give you _everything_ but I can't if you move like that against me."

Unknowingly, she had rubbed her ass against his needy length, the friction pushing his control to the limits. She wanted everything and didn't think it was a bad thing if he lost his control and fucked her hard and fast, but that thought was blown out of her mind when those meandering fingers delved into her slick folds ripping a relieved sigh from her chest. "Ohhh…Natsu…"

Her mouth found its way back to his own, kisses building into something fiery and hot, tongues twining and circling, completely in opposite to the slow sensual movements of his fingers inside her, his thumb barely brushing her throbbing clit with each pass.

She bucked her hips so that his wrist hit her on that special button every time. Lucy gasped his name and threw her head back delighted when that pool of heat in her abdomen grew hotter and stronger. Nirvana was close in her grasp and she wanted it. Wanted to dive head first into it with complete abandon.

Natsu's mouth latched onto her exposed neck and suddenly she wasn't the only one moving. His control was snapping as he watched as she fucked herself on his fingers, her hands grasping his legs to give her move leverage as she moved against him. He was hot and thick and needy on her ass as he ground into the supple globes and the soft nakedness of her lower back.

Every part of his wife felt amazing to him.

"Natsu—I'm…I'm so c—close…"

Thank the Gods for that, because he wanted to see her undone by his hands, but he was getting close to coming as well, but he needed to see her in the middle of a toe curling orgasm if it was the last thing he did.

He pawed gently at her breasts, tweaking her nipples until they rose into sharp peaks. Her quiet groans and stifled sounds guiding him at every turn. Essentially, he was learning what drove her to the brink, again. But Natsu didn't mind, he would explore her body and pull every single rapturous movement out of it.

"N-Natsu…" It was an almost silent plea for something, _anything_ more.

"You're beautiful Lucy. I want you to come for me, Princess. I _need to see you fucking come._ "

So she did as he asked and broke apart a long moan of his name passing through her kiss swollen lips.

He shuddered as he felt her walls closing in around her fingers, half-formed memories in his mind remembering just what that felt like around his cock.

And that was what did him in, essentially.

He flipped them over, until Lucy was laying on the pillows, spent and sated and happy, but seriously confused about the sudden change in position. "Natsu? What—?"

He reached around and deftly grabbed a condom out of his night stand, ripping it open and hissing out between clenched teeth. "I can't wait any longer, Luce. I _need_ to feel you come apart around me."

Those words brought the fire in her veins raring back to life from where it had settled before. She was needy and slick again, just for him in a matter of seconds. "I need you too, my Dragon." Her nickname made him fumble while he rolled down the rubber barrier, and his fingers twitched in his sudden need to make her scream his name.

He had wanted to make love to her slowly, carefully, but she was just so good at riling him up, pushing him past the brink of control that he didn't know how he was going to be able to not burst immediately upon him entering her.

Natsu had barely rolled down the condom before he had shoved himself completely into her waiting heat and groaned at the warm _tightness_ that was waiting for him there. "Goddam it. Shit. Just…fucking hell Lucy."

She had already started to buck and grind into him, her eyes pleading and hands grasping at his shoulders for him to just move and take her already. He breathed out long and deep once, a bit shuddery as her walls clenched with her mounting pleasure before he pulled almost all the way out and _slammed_ back in quickly.

The wail she gave of his name, head thrown back and eyes clenched, was instantly the sweetest sound he had ever heard, and he wanted to hear it again. And again and again, as many times as he could.

"Fuck _yessss_. Natsu… _more_ …"

So he gave her more, gave her everything he had. He still made love to her, but in a way that he knew how. He wrapped her warm arms around her, pulling her arched back closer to him and buried his nose in the crook of her neck while he plunged in and out of her as fast as he could, angling himself in that special way that made the cried of his name raise an octave higher than usual.

It was gratifying and the closeness made her lungs feel like she couldn't take in enough air. He completely surrounded her.

The pace was maddening, but Lucy could feel _everything_ like this and all she could focus on was the feeling of him filling her completely then the emptiness when he was gone.

But she didn't mind, he was warm and with his big strong arms around her, she felt loved and safe and protected. She caught his lips with her own, the heat building and growing between them as they rocked together, her hips starting up in a rhythm that brushed her needy clit against his hard muscles.

A cord, or possibly a spring started to wind up within her, but somehow, tonight, it wasn't the focus of her attention.

The groan they shared was lost in the movement of their dancing tongues and wandering hands. His strayed down her sides to rest on her lower back, taking sneaky squeezes of her ass, while hers sifted through his gravity defying hair and massaged his arms and neck. He was nearing the edge while she stood there waiting for him this time.

That spring wound tighter, threatening to snap with every pass of his arousal into her folds, every brush of her clit against him, every time he pinched her nipples between his teeth in such a way that made her toes tingle.

And then he started to kiss her face, in a way that made her feel so loved, in startling contrast to the way he was pounding her aching pussy down below. Every kiss was absolutely soaked in affection as if he couldn't say the words, but the actions would be enough.

 _You are treasured._ Her forehead.

 _You are loved._ Her cheeks.

 _You are mine._ Her lips.

Then, when she thought she couldn't go on any longer, her skin and blood and mind started to burn with unexpected pleasure. She had been so focused on every move Natsu made, on everything he was doing to her, she had failed to realise that she had been so close to the edge that one movement pushed her clear off the side.

So, with a quiet groan and a spine-tingling shudder, she succumbed to the euphoria and drowned in the feelings of her husband prolonging her orgasm until her walls sucking him in was too much and he followed her into that abys of pleasure.

 **XXX**

They gasped for air beside each other, sprawled on their backs hands clasped between them, their only link between their sweaty bodies for the moment. Condom disposed already in the small waste basket beside Natsu's side of the bed.

"Holy _shit_." Natsu breathed deeply, trying – and failing – to get his heart under control.

"…yah…"

"That was…"

"…amazing?"

"Fucking fantastic."

Lucy giggled. "I need another shower Natsu."

Her pink-haired husband laughed, the sound deep and strong. Then there he was, up on his feet and pulling her back into the bathroom by one hand while gazing at her with happiness in his evergreen eyes. "Come on then. I want to go see my Godson again."

She smiled at his joy, the giggled as Happy – who had sneaked in through the crack in their door only moments before – joined them in a quick shower to get rid of the sweat off their bodies.

Lucy watched her little family with a content feeling in her heart that only grew when Levy cried tears of joy when she had handed her still hospitalized friend a leather bound book, when she saw Gajeel link fingers with his fiancée, when she saw Natsu's eyes light up like fireworks when Tyler had grabbed his pinky finger in a surprisingly strong grip.

 _This_ …this was where she belonged, she knew it deep down in her heart, with all these amazing people. She had friends and family, a husband and blue cat that was more friend than animal. She had someone to come home to, someone to chase away her loneliness with, someone how loved her for herself.

Someone who had thrown on a Band-Aid over her cracked little heart, had patched her up and kissed her wounds, then told her she was still beautiful even if she was broken.

Natsu paused in his baby-talk with his Godson for a moment to flash her that stupidly amazing smile that made her melt every time, and she knew that she had so many more adventures with him before she was finished in this world.

She smiled back at him, happy in the moment, never more glad that she had agreed to take a chance with this man, even if all the steps were out of order and they had been married almost immediately. But she had found her best friend, and there was no other place that she would rather be.

* * *

 **Thanks for all your support for this story, love you all long time. Look for my next update of Stolen sometime on the weekend. Papa Igneel is back in action everyone, and he is pisssseddd.**

 **Stay crazy,**

 **LoadedEel**


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